Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem has welcomed Republican setbacks in last week’s US midterm elections and a weak showing by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc, arguing both outcomes strengthen Lebanon. In a televised address on Wednesday honouring killed Hezbollah members and their families, Qassem called the US vote an “earthquake” and the Israeli result a “defeat.” He said the results should encourage Beirut to resist the Trump regime’s push to disarm the Iran-backed movement.
Key Takeaways: Qassem framed Republican losses and Netanyahu’s failure to secure a 61-seat majority after the October 27 vote as a boost for Lebanon. He rejected disarmament under what he called continued Israeli occupation and warned Lebanese authorities against commitments serving Israeli goals. The speech underscores the unresolved standoff between Hezbollah and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, backed by the US regime, over the group’s weapons.
The address comes amid a fragile ceasefire and wider regional crisis. Hezbollah is locked in a standoff with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun over whether it will relinquish its arms, a move the US regime has sought but the group says would amount to surrender to Israel. Qassem insisted there would be no state monopoly on the resistance’s weapons and no disarmament under Israeli occupation. He criticised Lebanese officials for allegedly binding the country to positions serving what he called the Israeli project.
Qassem, who assumed the secretary-general role after the Israeli regime assassinated Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine in 2024, praised Iranian authorities’ closure of the Strait of Hormuz, saying it caused an oil-price spike and disrupted shipping. He claimed it would weaken American and Israeli influence. The account says the conflict escalated after the US regime and Israeli regime allegedly launched surprise attacks on Iran in February, with Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei reportedly killed. Hezbollah’s retaliation led to weeks of Israeli strikes on south Lebanon; Lebanese authorities say more than 4,300 people were killed and the UN estimates around one million displaced.
US President Donald Trump has allegedly acknowledged that the Iran war and higher fuel prices contributed to last week’s Republican drubbing, while US Vice President JD Vance, a likely 2028 contender, purportedly said: “The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so.” The claims have not been independently verified. Qassem also warned Lebanon’s authorities against deals serving Israeli goals and said: “Come, let us rebuild our country together, save it from the darkness of failure, and protect it from the empty rhetoric of those who sow discord and those who rely on American tutelage.”
The Israeli regime continues to occupy large swathes of southern Lebanon and has decimated dozens of the roughly 60 villages and towns it holds, according to the article. Although the Israeli regime and Lebanon negotiated a ceasefire with US mediation in June, the Israeli regime continues to bomb south Lebanon. Beirut now faces pressure from the US regime and the Israeli regime over Hezbollah’s weapons, while Qassem’s speech signals the group will resist disarmament.
Source: www.aljazeera.com