Nasrallah threatens major war against Israel in recent speech
If Israel decides to take action against Hezbollah, it risks a larger war, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said in a speech on Wednesday.
Since the Gaza war began on October 7, Hezbollah has already fired 5,000 rockets, missiles and drones at Israel. Nasrallah is now threatening to attack all of Israel and to mobilize other members of the Iran-backed “Axis of Resistance” against Israel.
The Lebanese terrorist leader also threatened Cyprus. Cyprus and Israel have become increasingly close partners in recent years. Hezbollah threatened Cyprus to allow Israel to use its airports. It was not clear why Hezbollah suddenly brought this issue into focus. Israel has conducted joint military exercises with Cyprus in the past.
Hezbollah has threatened other countries in the past through terrorism and sending agents abroad, to Europe, South America and West Africa. But this was a direct threat to a European country in the Eastern Mediterranean. This shows how strong Hezbollah perceives itself to be.
Hezbollah intervened in the Syrian civil war in 2012. Since then, it has played an important role in the Iran-backed system of proxies and militias in the region.
For example, Hezbollah has worked with the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. It has also worked with Iranian-backed groups in Syria and Iraq. It has also deployed troops to Syria and created a “Golan File” on terrorists operating near the Golan Heights.
Therefore, Hezbollah now sees itself as a regional or global power. It is based in Lebanon, but is far stronger than Lebanon.
Hezbollah now believes it can find up to 100,000 volunteers in the region to support it in the event of a war with Israel. Hezbollah itself does not have that many fighters, as it recruits its fighters from the Shiite community in Lebanon and there are not many available recruits for Hezbollah itself. However, it can recruit new fighters in Syria and especially in Iraq.
Nasrallah believes conflict could change the face of the region
Nasrallah believes that the current conflict could change the face of the region. Iran believes this too. Together with Russia and other Hamas supporters such as Turkey, Qatar and China, there is a feeling that a new regional and global order is emerging.
In a sense, Hezbollah smells blood in the water, and in the wake of the October 7 Hamas attack, the Iran-backed sharks are gathering.
Israeli officials have threatened Hezbollah in the past, telling it to look at what Israel did in Gaza, an indication that Israel could inflict the same damage on Lebanon.
Hezbollah has systematically called Israel’s bluff. Israel’s defense minister, foreign minister and the Israel Defense Forces chief of staff have all spoken out about the need to deter Hezbollah and return Israeli residents to their homes in the north.
Hezbollah will continue its attacks until the war in Gaza ends, and is preparing the ground for a possible escalation.
Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah have been rising recently. Israeli forces eliminated Sami Taleb Abdullah, commander of Hezbollah’s Nasr unit, last Wednesday. On Tuesday, Hezbollah released drone footage of sensitive Israeli sites along Israel’s coast. The Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff responded to the footage on Wednesday, warning Hezbollah of Israel’s capabilities. On Tuesday, the commander of the Israel Defense Forces Northern Command, Major General Ori Gordin, and the head of the Operations Directorate, Major General Oded Basiuk, approved operational plans and conducted a joint situation assessment at the Northern Command headquarters.
Nasrallah’s comments are important. His reference to Cyprus is new. In the past, however, Hezbollah has boasted of being able to mobilise volunteers from Iraq and Syria to support its war against Israel, and has also threatened to attack all of Israel.
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