HezbollahSecretary-General Naim Qassem acknowledged security "flaws" and "breaches" within the militant group but denied it had been defeated in recent conflicts, saying, "We reached an agreement, we stopped the fire, and our capabilities remain intact."
In his first interview since assuming leadership in late October following the assassination of his predecessor, Hassan Nasrallah, Qassem spoke to Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar TV on Sunday. Addressing the group's fighters, he urged them to stand firm: "Just as you have always held your heads high, remain that way. You are Nasrallah’s sons. His funeral was a ‘victory declaration’ in the way we believe. We persisted until the very last moment of securing the agreement."
Qassem expressed gratitude to Iranian, Iraqi, Palestinian, and Yemeni representatives who attended Nasrallah's funeral despite travel restrictions. He also revealed that followingNasrallah’s killing, he had initially asked Hashem Safi al-Din, then head of Hezbollah’s Executive Council, to take over as leader. However, days later, the Israeli military carried out an airstrike in Beirut’s Dahiyeh district, killing Safi al-Din as well.
"We are conducting investigations to learn lessons and hold people accountable," Qassem said, adding that Hezbollah had made "battlefield adjustments." He also referenced the drone attack that struck Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence in Caesarea, stating, "Hezbollah reaching Netanyahu’s home proves our capabilities remain."
Qassem insisted that while Hezbollah had paid ahigh price, its "resistance" against Israel would continue. "We are in a new phase where the fundamental principles remain unchanged, but the methods, tactics, and timing have evolved," he said. "We face new equations that will not be dictated by Israel. Let the state seize this opportunity through political action and demonstrate to the world that Israel does not retreat through diplomacy—it retreats through war and resistance. Israel understands only the language of weapons."
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הלווייה של נסראללה וספי א-דין בביירותהלווייה של נסראללה וספי א-דין בביירות
Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safi al-Din's funeral in Beirut
(Photo: REUTERS/Ali Allouch)
Discussing the conflict with Israel, Qassem claimed Hezbollah had the ability to strike "any target we chose" but had limited its attacks to military objectives "to deny the enemy an excuse." He dismissed speculation about secret clauses in the cease-fire agreement, saying, "The agreement is what was declared and published—there are no hidden terms."
Hezbollah's leader also warned Israel about maintaining a military presence at five strategic locations inside Lebanese territory. "I say to the Israelis—if you stay in these positions, how long do you think it will last? The resistance will not allow you to remain there," he said. "If the occupation persists, the army, the people, and the resistance will confront it. We have no ties to any agreement between the U.S. and Israel."
Qassem described Iran as a "friendly country" and called for the resumption of flights between Lebanon and Iran, which Israel has sought to limit over concerns about arms and financial transfers to Hezbollah. He also accused the U.S. of interfering in Lebanon’s government appointments, saying, "We are evaluating how to deal with this intervention."
Addressing the possibility of a regional war involving the U.S. and Iran, Qassem asserted that Iran had the strength, leadership, and decision-making ability to defend itself. "If the Americans launch a war against Iran, their losses will be significant, and the global consequences will be extraordinary," he warned.
At the end of the interview, Qassem grew emotional as he addressed Hezbollah terrorists and those wounded in recent operations, referring to them as "our living martyrs."