Lebanon's Hezbollah will not necessarily take military action against Israel or the United States if Iran is attacked, The National has been told, despite assessments in Washington that the group could retaliate.
“Hezbollah will not stay neutral if Iran is attacked by the US,” a Hezbollah official told The National on Tuesday. But he clarified that “it doesn't necessarily mean Hezbollah will take military action against the aggressors”.
His remarks contrast with assessments by senior figures in Donald Trump's administration, which has withdrawn some staff from Beirut. One official said the US believes Hezbollah could retaliate in the event of regional escalation or strikes against Iran.
Washington assesses that Hezbollah retains the ability to carry out limited attacks, the senior official added. “They have certainly lost some capability and capacity, but at a small scale they retain the capability – much like they acted in the early 1980s,” he said.
Israeli threats
Israel, which bombs the south of Lebanon on a near-daily basis despite a 2024 ceasefire, has threatened further counter-attacks if Hezbollah does intervene.
Lebanon is taking the threats seriously, said one Lebanese political source close to Hezbollah, who said the continued tensions are Israel's responsibility.
"We have informed the relevant diplomatic parties that Lebanon is committed to the ceasefire, and that the Israeli side is escalating its attacks, including its assaults on villages in the Bekaa a few days ago," said the source.
Another political source close to Hezbollah said the group is not seeking escalation, while Israel is carrying out attacks on Lebanon in the midst of peace negotiations.
"Israel is trying to inflame the regional situation, whether through its attacks on Lebanon, its continued violations in Gaza and the West Bank, or its incursions into Syria," they said. "Netanyahu’s government has an interest in maintaining a state of regional crisis".
They said Hezbollah "will not accept Israeli exploitation of a potential war with Iran to attack Lebanon". They said the US must take some blame for tensions in Lebanon as it builds up forces in the region and withdraws staff.
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem has maintained that the group will not remain neutral in any standoff between Washington and Tehran, but has stopped short of committing to military retaliation.
“We will choose in due course how to act and whether to intervene or not,” he said in a televised speech last month.
Founded in 1985 in response to Israel’s occupation of south Lebanon, Hezbollah has evolved from a militant organisation that employed guerrilla tactics, kidnappings and suicide bombings into a powerful Iran-backed political party and paramilitary force.
But its military capacity was significantly reduced during a two-month Israeli assault on Lebanon in 2024 that was aimed at decapitating the organisation.
Its ballistic missile capability was significantly reduced and Israel has launched daily attacks in a bid to fully disarm the group and prevent it from rebuilding its arsenal.
Hezbollah has disarmed south of the Litani river and handed control of the area to the Lebanese army. The organisation has refrained from responding to Israel's daily attacks and continuing occupation of five points inside Lebanese territory.
As tensions rise between Washington and Tehran, the US maintains concerns that any American military action against Iran could spill over into Lebanon. This could either be through Hezbollah being targeted in a broader operation or the group intervening militarily in support of Tehran.
On Monday, the US instructed non-emergency personnel to leave its embassy in Beirut, scaling back its diplomatic presence.
“This is a routine precautionary action, but it is for a logical reason,” the senior US official said.
Lebanese officials fear that a regional escalation could expose their country to increased Israeli strikes.
Foreign Minister Joe Rajji told reporters in Geneva that “there are signs that the Israelis could strike very hard in the event of an escalation, potentially including strategic infrastructure such as the airport”, AFP reported.
“We are currently conducting diplomatic efforts to request that, even in the event of retaliation, Lebanese civilian infrastructure not be targeted,” he added.
