Hezbollah vows right to respond
Qassem says the group will choose its retaliation timing
Hezbollah’s deputy leader Naim Qassem said the group retains the right to respond to Israel’s killing of its top military commander, Haytham Ali Tabtabai, and left open the possibility of renewed conflict. Speaking at a memorial in Beirut’s southern suburbs, Qassem called the strike that killed Tabtabai a “calculated assassination” aimed at weakening Hezbollah’s military structure and vowed the group “will not let this crime pass.” He said Hezbollah alone will “set the timing” and nature of any retaliation, dismissing external threats of a broader Israeli air campaign as irrelevant to its decision-making.
Tabtabai, long linked to Hezbollah operations in Syria and southern Lebanon, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs, an attack that drew mass funerals and heightened fears of escalation. Israel has argued Tabtabai posed an imminent threat and has since reinforced air-defence systems and troop deployments along its northern border. Lebanon faces growing pressure from Israel and the United States to disarm Hezbollah and other armed groups, a demand the movement has repeatedly rejected.
Analysts say Hezbollah faces a strategic dilemma: precedent and group doctrine suggest assassinations of senior commanders warrant retaliation, but any response risks triggering a wider war that would devastate Lebanese civilians and undo fragile post-ceasefire stability. Qassem framed the decision about if and when to strike as part of Hezbollah’s “deterrence equation,” stressing the group will choose a moment meant to maximize impact while minimizing harm to civilians. He urged the Lebanese government to endorse a unified defence policy even as political divisions persist.
The border remains tense, with sporadic cross-fire reported and regional observers warning that even a limited Hezbollah response could prompt rapid escalation. Israel has increased readiness and deployed additional systems to guard against potential missile or drone attacks. Qassem expressed hope that an upcoming papal visit could help reduce tensions but made clear Hezbollah retains military options and will act when it deems strategically appropriate.
