Will Hezbollah Retaliate for the Assassination of Senior Commander?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Hezbollah is set to retaliate for the assassination of Haytham Tabtabai.
- Naim Qassem has asserted that the timing of their response will be determined by Hezbollah.
- The Israeli airstrike resulted in significant casualties and injuries.
- The IRGC has vowed a decisive response to the assassination.
- Ongoing Israeli violations have been condemned by Hezbollah's leadership.
Beirut, Nov 29 (NationPress) Hezbollah has indicated a forthcoming retaliation for the killing of senior commander Haytham Tabtabai. Group leader Naim Qassem stated that the timing of their response will be determined by the movement itself.
During a memorial event honoring Tabtabai and other deceased members of Hezbollah on Friday, Qassem characterized the assassination as "a blatant act of aggression and a crime," asserting that Hezbollah's right to retaliate is "well-established" and that they "will choose the right moment."
Earlier this month, an Israeli airstrike in Haret Hreik, south of Beirut, resulted in the deaths of at least five individuals, including Tabtabai, and injured 28 others, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.
Qassem also hinted that "collaborators" might have facilitated the attack, citing recent arrests by Lebanon's General Security that indicate "some individuals are supplying information to Israel."
Furthermore, Qassem condemned ongoing Israeli violations, which include drone overflights over government facilities, and urged the Lebanese government to adopt a more definitive defensive stance.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran has also pledged a "devastating response" to Israel in light of Tabtabai's assassination.
In an official statement on their news outlet, Sepah News, the IRGC condemned Israel's actions as a "brutal crime," asserting that Tabtabai was attacked in a "flagrant and terrorist act" in the southern suburbs of Beirut. The statement emphasized that "the resistance axis and Hezbollah" maintain the right to seek revenge and that a decisive response will be forthcoming "at the right time."
Additionally, Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned the attack on Monday, labeling it "brutal aggression" against Lebanon's territorial integrity and national sovereignty.