Hezbollah threatens to attack US if Khamenei is harmed

Hezbollah has drawn a clear line between limited US military action and strikes aimed at destabilizing Iran’s ruling system.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

A Hezbollah official said Wednesday that the Iran-backed group would not take military action if the United States carries out “limited” strikes on Iran, but warned that any attempt to target Iran’s top leadership would trigger intervention.

The official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said Hezbollah had drawn a clear line between restricted US military action and strikes aimed at destabilizing Iran’s ruling system.

“In the event of limited US strikes on Iran, Hezbollah’s position will be to not intervene militarily,” the official said. Any move to bring about the fall of Iran’s leadership or to target Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would be considered a “red line,” the official added.

The comments come amid rising tensions between Washington and Tehran. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened military action against Iran.

The New York Times reported Sunday that Trump is considering a limited strike to pressure Iran to meet US nuclear demands, with the option of a broader campaign later this year if negotiations fail.

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem has previously said the group is operating from a “defensive position,” but has warned that a US attack on Iran would be seen by Hezbollah as a direct threat.

The Hezbollah official told AFP that a US attempt to unseat Iran’s leadership would likely lead Israel to launch a war against Lebanon. Lebanese officials have expressed concern that any escalation between Washington and Tehran could quickly spread.

A Lebanese official told AFP that authorities fear a sequence beginning with a US strike on Iran, followed by Hezbollah action against Israel and then a large-scale Israeli response.

On Tuesday, two senior Lebanese officials said Israel had conveyed an indirect message warning it would strike Lebanon hard, including civilian infrastructure such as the airport, if Hezbollah became involved in a US-Iran conflict.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi said in Geneva that Israeli strikes in such a scenario could include “strategic infrastructure such as the airport,” adding that Beirut had urged Hezbollah to avoid actions that could endanger civilians. “This war does not concern us,” Raggi said.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam also appealed for restraint, warning in a newspaper interview that Lebanon should not be dragged into another conflict after paying a heavy price in recent fighting.

Israel and Hezbollah last fought in 2023 and 2024, with a ceasefire reached in November 2024 following an Israeli ground invasion and air campaign that severely weakened Hezbollah’s leadership.