Iran-Hezbollah relations: Diplomatic approach to avoid wider conflict with Israel

Report by Ahmad Abdallah, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroud

Hezbollah's Secretary-General, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, conveyed the party's reluctance to embroil Iran in a broader conflict with Israel, considering that the border battle remains solely theirs.

Nasrallah's message was delivered to the Commander of the Quds Force, Esmail Qaani, in Beirut last month amid concerns about a possible comprehensive Israeli attack on Lebanon.

According to Reuters, which revealed the meeting, Nasrallah assured Qaani that Tehran would not be drawn into a war with Tel Aviv or Washington.

While Hezbollah sources neither confirmed nor denied the meeting's occurrence, it was considered routine and natural for such interactions.

Nasrallah's assurance to Qaani was discreet but echoed publicly through his speeches, highlighting Hezbollah's reluctance to escalate the conflict. He repeatedly emphasized that the field dictates the situation. 

Despite Israeli escalations targeting Baalbek and the Bekaa Valley, Hezbollah's responses remained within established parameters, maintaining a consistent level of engagement for the past six months.

In contrast, Israeli rhetoric has been consistently escalating since February.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant reiterated Israel's intention to wage a wide-scale war on Lebanon to permanently remove Hezbollah fighters from the border region and separate the Gaza ceasefire from the southern front, leaving room for diplomacy.

In the past two years, Iran has pursued a diplomatic approach to mitigate regional tensions. Today, Tehran renews this policy, albeit quietly.

Will Iran's desire for stability reflect on its various allies' fronts?