Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday, October 24, defended Hezbollah as Lebanon’s primary defense against Israel, which has been carrying out extensive strikes across the country since late September. The Israeli military campaign has targeted Hezbollah strongholds, particularly around Beirut, and launched ground incursions into southern Lebanon, with the aim of crippling the group.
Khamenei’s endorsement of Hezbollah comes amid rising casualties in Lebanon, where at least 1,552 people have been killed according to AFP sources. The United Nations has reported that approximately 800,000 people have been displaced by the ongoing violence.
“Hezbollah is the strongest defender of Lebanon and the strongest shield against the greed of the Zionist regime, which has long been aiming at the disintegration of Lebanon,” Khamenei said in a statement. The Iranian leader’s remarks follow Hezbollah’s recent confirmation of Hashem Safieddine’s death, the expected successor to the group’s current leader, Hassan Nasrallah, who was also killed in an Israeli strike.
Iran has maintained a strong support for the Palestinian cause and a refusal to recognise Israel, which it calls a “Zionist entity,” since the 1979 revolution. Khamenei’s remarks are consistent with this foreign policy position.
France has taken action to offer humanitarian aid in the interim. An international conference held in Paris on the same day as Khamenei’s statement garnered $800 million for help to Lebanon. The war “must end as soon as possible,” French President Emmanuel Macron said, calling for a truce and warning Hezbollah to stop provocations. He also reminded Israel that its military victories in Lebanon might not translate into strategic success.
