US EditionKhamenei Tells Hezbollah to Make Its Own Decisions
Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi refused Iran's invitation, proposing neutral-country talks to respect sovereignty amid regional tensions and Hezbollah's weakened position.
- This year, Iran signaled a shift from directing to following its allies' lead as Iran now appears to be following, not directing, its regional allies and Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, is 86.
- Recent battlefield losses, including the November 2024 blow to Hezbollah, weakened Tehran's leverage as strikes by Israel and the United States this year curbed Iran's Middle East influence.
- Under U.S. pressure, Lebanon's government committed in August to disarm Hezbollah, and Israel continues strikes while maintaining troops in five south Lebanon areas targeting Hezbollah.
- Disarming Hezbollah without reconstruction risks disenfranchising Lebanese Shiites, who fear marginalization and violence as proxies weaken, potentially driving renewed communal politics and instability.
- Iran has moved away from transnational mobilization toward domestic priorities, calling on the Iranian public to defend the homeland while Shiite communities remain resilient with 21 million worshipers at Karbala.
25 Articles
25 Articles
Report: Khamenei tells Qassem Hezbollah can take its own decisions
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has sent a letter to Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem telling him that “Hezbollah’s decisions are left to its leadership in Lebanon,” sources told An-Nahar newspaper in remarks published Wednesday.
Lebanese FM Raggi turns down Iranian invite to Tehran
Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi on Wednesday declined an invitation to visit Iran, which backs militant group Hezbollah, proposing a meeting with his Iranian counterpart in a neutral third country. Under heavy US pressure and fears of expanded Israeli strikes, Lebanon's government committed in August to disarming Hezbollah, which was heavily weakened politically and militarily after a recent war with Israel. Tehran has said it is opposed…
Lebanese Foreign Minister Joe Raggi apologized on Wednesday for having officially declined the invitation of his Iranian counterpart to visit Tehran, saying that there was still...
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