Israeli Channel 14 revealed an unprecedented crisis of trust between Tehran and Hezbollah’s leadership, following the repercussions of the bombing of the tunnel facility in Jebel Ali al-Tahir. These developments prompted the Iranian side to reduce the powers of the party’s Secretary-General, Naeem Qassem, and the direct intervention of the Revolutionary Guard in managing sensitive files.
Journalist Efrat Brenner’s report was based on information published by “Nidaa al-Watan” newspaper, stating that Iranian official Hussein Taeb informed Qassem of the existence of deep dissatisfaction in Tehran with his performance, against the backdrop of field failures and the recent escalation in southern Lebanon, especially what happened in the tunnel facility under Jebel Ali al-Tahir near Nabatieh, which was described as a command center and operations room containing a stockpile of strategic weapons, and was established with Iranian funding and direction before being destroyed by hundreds of tons of explosives.
According to the report, it was decided to withdraw the powers to manage sensitive files from Qasim, and assign the official in the Revolutionary Guard, Ali Al-Abbas, to a more influential and decisive role in managing the party and formulating its security policies. The report stated that Hussein Taeb, the former head of the Revolutionary Guards’ intelligence service and appointed last August to head the Basij forces, was the one responsible for delivering the Iranian message directly, based on Western diplomatic sources who believe that Qassem does not have the ability or leadership position to replace former Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah.
These changes coincide with a new Iranian security plan in Lebanon that aims to impose strict control on the party’s performance. According to the report, the Revolutionary Guard has sent about 100 officers to Lebanon since the ceasefire at the end of 2024, with the aim of supervising the training of personnel, keeping pace with rearmament, and building a more decentralized combat system.
The Israeli channel considered that Hezbollah’s weapons system and infrastructure represent a fundamental pillar of Tehran’s regional deterrence strategy and are not an internal Lebanese matter. The report concluded that the loss of Ali Al-Tahir’s position, along with the inability attributed to Qassem in installing a strong leadership, pushed Tehran to go beyond the monitoring stage and move to direct participation in the party’s field and security decision-making.
