Naim Qassem: Hezbollah Will Continue the Fight

Naim Qassem, the newly appointed Secretary General of Hezbollah Lebanon, announced in his first speech as the new leader of the group that he will continue the path of Hassan Nasrallah, the slain Secretary General of Hezbollah Lebanon, without any modifications. In this speech delivered on Wednesday, November 1, he claimed that this militant group fights for Lebanon and does not engage in combat on behalf of anyone or under anyone's plan. Qassem asserted that the Iranian government supports Hezbollah's program without any expectations and has no demands from the group. This comes despite Hezbollah being the main proxy arm of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the region, having received extensive financial and military support from the Iranian government over the past decades. Naim Qassem is an author of books about Ruhollah Khomeini and Ali Khamenei and is said to have traveled to Tehran with Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian Foreign Minister, and settled there. Hezbollah Lebanon announced on Tuesday, October 31, the election of Naim Qassem as the new Secretary General of the group. He succeeds Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed weeks ago in an Israeli airstrike on Hezbollah's command center in southern Lebanon. Naim Qassem has traveled to Iran multiple times and met with Islamic Republic officials, including Ali Khamenei, the leader of the government. He has written a book about Ali Khamenei titled 'The Reviving Leader,' which discusses the views and perspectives of the leader of the Islamic Republic. His book about Ruhollah Khomeini is titled 'Imam Khomeini, Authenticity and Renewal.' According to some reports, he traveled to Tehran two weeks ago with Abbas Araghchi, who had gone to Lebanon, and has been residing there. An Iranian source told the Emirati site Aram News that Qassem left Beirut with an Iranian plane alongside Abbas Araghchi, heading to Damascus and then to the Iranian capital. If Qassem's presence in Iran is confirmed, the settlement of the leader of the terrorist group Hezbollah in Iran could add new complexities and dimensions to the tensions and conflicts between the Islamic Republic and Israel. Yoav Gallant reacted to the appointment of Naim Qassem as the new Secretary General of Hezbollah on Tuesday, October 31. The Israeli Defense Minister posted a brief statement on 'X' along with a picture of Naim Qassem, stating that the tenure of this successor to Nasrallah is also 'temporary' and will not be long. Naim Qassem has been leading the group since Israel killed Nasrallah last month, and unofficial reports suggest he went to Iran following the intensification of Israeli attacks against Hezbollah. Since the terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, by Palestinian militants against Israel - which resulted in the deaths of at least 1,200 people, including women, children, and the elderly, and the hostage-taking of over 250 others, mostly civilians - Israel has been engaged in battles on several fronts with the Islamic Republic and its proxy forces. Israel has also been involved with Hezbollah Lebanon, the main proxy arm of the Islamic Republic, in the north. Hezbollah Lebanon unilaterally began its rocket and drone attacks on northern Israel the day after the terrorist attack on October 7, 2023. In response, Israel has conducted severe attacks against this group’s positions in Lebanon and Syria, killing hundreds of members of this Iran-backed group, including its leader and senior military commanders such as Hassan Nasrallah, Foad Shakir, Ibrahim Aqil, and Hashem Safi al-Din. Concurrently with heavy airstrikes on Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon, the southern suburbs of Beirut, and the Bekaa Valley, Israel has deployed its ground forces to parts of southern Lebanon. Several countries, including the United States, Israel, Germany, Serbia, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, and Australia, have recognized Hezbollah in its entirety as a terrorist organization. The recognition of Hezbollah Lebanon as a terrorist organization means that there is no distinction made between its political and military branches, labeling both branches as terrorists. Washington has warned Tehran that another attack on Israel or American forces will have 'severe consequences.' The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel's attack on the positions of the Islamic Republic has also undermined the credibility of Russian military equipment. The Islamic Republic claims it will use 'all tools' to respond to Israel. The location of the Israeli cabinet meeting was changed due to security concerns. An Israeli general stated that they attacked the 'strategic systems' of the Islamic Republic. Gallant commented on the 'precise' attack on the Islamic Republic: 'Nowhere is far from Israel.' Netanyahu stated that Israel dealt a 'precise and powerful' blow to the air defense and missile production capabilities of the Iranian government. Israeli fighter jets attacked weapons manufacturing sites and Hezbollah's arms depots in Beirut. Concurrently with Hezbollah's warnings, the Israeli army reduced restrictions in the northern parts of the country.