Hezbollah is receiving support from Iran and Iraq, according to its new leader, Naim Qassem, Iran’s official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported this week. His comments are important because he mentioned Iraq.
It has always been well known that Hezbollah received support from Iran’s regime, and that the terrorist group is an ally and a proxy of Iran. But its links to Iranian-backed militias in Iraq has not always been public knowledge.
“Sheikh Naim Qassem made the remarks in a televised speech from Beirut on Monday, adding that victory in Gaza belongs to the Palestinian people, the regional nations that supported them, and all freedom-seeking individuals worldwide,” IRNA reported.
Qassem is emerging after about two months of relative silence. Hezbollah has been recovering from the blows of the war. Lebanon and Israel agreed to a ceasefire on November 27 after two months of intense fighting.
Hezbollah chose to enter the war against Israel the day after the October 7 massacre. It launched nearly 7,500 rockets and hundreds of drones at Israel between October 2023 and August 2024. Israel began to escalate its retaliation in September 2024.
“The objectives of the large-scale Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, launched by Gaza’s resistance groups on October 7, 2023, have been met,” IRNA quoted Qassem as saying in a recent interview.
‘Israeli enemy failed’
“Sheikh Qassem further said that the Israeli enemy failed in honor and humanity, revealing itself as a criminal entity intent on extermination. The Hezbollah chief condemned the US and certain Western governments for their unconditional support for the Israeli regime’s aggression against Lebanon and Gaza.”
“The US and Israel aimed to dismantle the resistance, but it prevailed through remarkable resilience and sacrifices that have yielded significant results,” he said.
The report did not elaborate on his comments about Iraq. There are several Iranian-backed militias in Iraq. Many of them have close ties with Hezbollah and have backed it over the years. They include Kataib Hezbollah in Iraq, which is closely affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
In addition, there are Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba and Asaib Ahl al-Haq. The head of Asaib traveled to southern Lebanon several years ago to give assurances that the Iraqi militias would back Hezbollah in a time of war.
