The targeted assassination of Hezbollah’s terrorist in-chief Hassan Nasrallah by Israeli Air Force after neutralising top Radwan force commanders, pager explosions and walkie-talkie explosions within the Iran-backed Shia groups shows deep penetration of Israeli agencies inside the Lebanon-based Islamist group.
Sixty-four-year-old Nasrallah was the principal cat’s paw of Ayatollahs of Iran as he ran the brutal Islamic group for the past three decades, taking on the powerful Israelis head-on during the occupation of southern Lebanon and then 2006 land war which ended in a stalemate.
That the Israelis caught Nasrallah unawares in his Beirut bunker last night shows the level of precise actionable intelligence and deadly targeting through laser-guided concrete penetrating bombs by the Israeli Air Force. ALSO READ: Iran targeting Israel in dangerous Middle East Game. Can India resolve crisis?
Presently, the majority of the population in north and central Israel are hiding in bomb shelters fearing Hezbollah and Iran retaliation post-killing of Nasrallah.
Hassan Nasrullah was favourite of Ayatollah Khamenei
Although Iran has been using Shia Houthis, Sunni Hamas, and Shia Kaitab Hezbollah in Iraq, Nasrallah, and his Lebanon-based group is the closest to the Iranian clergy and its strong arm—the QUDS force.
{{/usCountry}}Although Iran has been using Shia Houthis, Sunni Hamas, and Shia Kaitab Hezbollah in Iraq, Nasrallah, and his Lebanon-based group is the closest to the Iranian clergy and its strong arm—the QUDS force.
{{/usCountry}}The killing of Nasrallah along with the deaths of senior commanders since the pagers exploded must be a serious setback for Tehran as the son of a vegetable seller was a favourite of Ayatollah Khomeini.
It was Khomeini’s 1979 Iranian revolution that radicalized the Hezbollah cadre and made them into fighters after taking training from Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran. Hezbollah supported Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and virtually captured the once-Christian Lebanon.
Nasrallah ran afoul with Israel after Hezbollah launched rocket attacks into the north of Jew nation in support of Hamas post-October 7 massacre. In a span of two months, Israel has severely degraded Hezbollah’s fighting capabilities after killing top commanders like Fuad Shukr and Ibrahim Aqil in targeted strikes.
The losses of top and middle-level Hezbollah commanders will make it very difficult for Iran to appoint the successor of Nasrallah as even his deputy has been taken out by Tel Aviv.
Just like Hamas, Hezbollah is an ideology that cannot die despite its top leader being exterminated. The Israeli borders with Lebanon and Gaza will remain hot and so will be the skies with missiles being fired by Houthis in Yemen. The death of Nasrallah may trigger a strong retaliation from Iran but the missile capabilities of Tehran are limited in range and effectiveness.
After taking out Hamas’ Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Nasrallah in Lebanon, Israel has taken the fight to Iran. The ball is now in Ali Khamenei’s court as his credibility is at stake.