Hezbollah is dragging Lebanon into the war on Iran, but the militia is a shadow of the force it once was
Hezbollah is dragging Lebanon into the war on Iran, but the militia is a shadow of the force it once was
Lebanon now risks being fully engulfed in the US and Israeli conflict with Iran, as Israel escalates its campaign against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia. The fragile government has been striving to prevent this, yet the situation continues to unravel. Hezbollah’s decision to retaliate for the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, has prompted a wave of Israeli military actions, including air strikes and territorial advances in southern Lebanon.
On Monday, the Lebanese militia executed its first cross-border strike since late 2024, launching missiles and a swarm of drones at an Israeli military base near Haifa. The attack, described as a demonstration of Hezbollah’s lingering capability, targeted radar sites and control rooms at an airbase in northern Israel. According to a Hezbollah statement, the assaults were in response to “criminal Israeli aggression” that had damaged dozens of Lebanese cities and towns.
We will not allow the country to be dragged into new adventures, and we will take all necessary measures to stop those responsible and protect the Lebanese people,” said Nawaf Salam, Lebanon’s prime minister, in a post on X on Monday.
Hezbollah, once a formidable proxy for Iran, now appears diminished. Years of Israeli assaults have led to the assassination of its top leaders, the capture of its southern strongholds, and the depletion of its missile arsenal. The government’s move to outlaw Hezbollah’s military activities further weakens the group, potentially increasing friction between the national forces and the militia.
Beirut, the Lebanese capital, has become a flashpoint as Israeli surveillance drones patrol the skies and red tracer bullets mark the night. The city, already battered by conflict, has faced recent airstrikes targeting southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold. Israel claims these strikes hit command centers and weapon depots, intensifying the pressure on the group. Meanwhile, Israel is mobilizing tens of thousands of reservists near the border, sparking doubts about a larger ground operation to neutralize Hezbollah.
During a Tuesday press briefing, IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani emphasized that the current deployment is not a full-scale invasion. “Our presence is limited to the immediate border area, serving a defensive role to shield Israeli civilians and secure strategic points,” he explained. “This is a tactical move to ensure security and prevent infiltration, not a large operation.”
Hezbollah’s weakened state has exposed its Iranian allies. Without its strong Lebanese presence, a major deterrent against direct confrontation with Israel has been removed. The group is now seen as a target not for its strength, but for its vulnerability, as it struggles to maintain influence in a country increasingly at odds with its revolutionary backers.