Hassan Nasrallah: We Will Increase Our Military Presence in Syria

Following the death of a senior Hezbollah commander in Syria, Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the group, promised that Hezbollah's military presence in support of Bashar al-Assad in Syria would be increased. According to Reuters, Mr. Nasrallah stated during a speech broadcast on Al-Manar TV on Friday, May 31, that Hezbollah would send 'more commanders' to Syria. Mustafa Badreddine, the senior Hezbollah commander in Syria, was killed last week due to a mortar explosion near Damascus Airport. He was referred to as the overall military commander of Hezbollah and the successor to Imad Mughniyeh, the former military commander of the group who was killed by Israel. Initial reports named Israel as responsible for Mr. Badreddine's death, and even Ahmad Vahidi, a former Iranian defense minister, stated that Israel would pay for this matter. However, subsequent reports indicated that the death of this Hezbollah commander was reported by groups opposing Bashar al-Assad. Hassan Nasrallah also emphasized in his speech on Friday that there is no evidence of Mustafa Badreddine being killed by Israel. Mr. Badreddine was the main suspect in the assassination of Rafik Hariri, the former Prime Minister of Lebanon in 2005, and was also on the U.S. terrorist blacklist. Hezbollah, the Iran-backed political-military group, has supported Bashar al-Assad's government against its opponents by sending its fighters to Syria in recent years. Various sources estimate that between one thousand to two thousand Hezbollah forces have been killed in Syria during this period. However, the leader of Hezbollah emphasized in his speech on Friday: 'The death of none of our commanders will drive us away from the battlefield. This precious blood makes us bigger, stronger, and more skilled in the battlefield.' Mr. Nasrallah also stated that Hezbollah forces would remain in Syria until 'the end of the war in Syria.' In this context, a military court in Lebanon sentenced 106 individuals to death, and the bodies of seven casualties from the wars in Syria and Iraq were buried in Iran. The Syrian government forces are advancing around Damascus, and there are significant changes in the dynamics of the 'proxy' wars, with implications for the Iranian street. The responsibility of the opposition and the potential radicalization of Iranian society are also highlighted.