Hezbollah has sent calming messages to the Lebanese state in the past 24 hours, saying it will maintain "neutrality on the ground" and avoid joining a war against Iran unless it is directly attacked by Israel, according to a report Thursday in the Lebanese newspaper Nidaa al-Watan, citing senior sources.
The reported shift marks what the sources described as a dramatic change in the Lebanese terrorist organization's position. While Hezbollah would refrain from intervening if tensions escalate into a broader war involving Iran, the sources said the group would act "in self-defense" if it comes under a full-scale Israeli attack.
A Hezbollah official told AFP on Wednesday that the terrorist organization would not intervene if the US carries out "limited strikes" against Iran. However, the official added that if Washington attempts to harm Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei or topple the regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hezbollah would step in.
On the surface, the Hezbollah official's remarks outline a potential margin of maneuver that would allow the group to remain neutral under certain scenarios of US military action.
Israel Hayom recently reported that Hezbollah is grappling with an internal dilemma over whether to become involved. On one hand, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem has pledged that the organization "will not remain neutral" in the event of war. In addition, Lebanese reports have indicated that officers from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are involved in managing the terrorist organization.
On the other hand, Hezbollah officials are aware that entering the conflict could trigger a severe Israeli strike against the terrorist organization.
During Operation Rising Lion last summer, Hezbollah largely stayed on the sidelines and did not intervene in the fighting between Israel and Iran.
