October 25, 2026
Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported that Hezbollah once again informed Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri that it would not intervene militarily in support of Iran in the event of any potential confrontation with the United States, a position that Berri, in turn, conveyed to the President of the Republic, General Joseph Aoun.
The party’s position intersects with a message conveyed by Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh during his recent visit to Beirut, where he informed representatives affiliated with the “Shiite duo” that Tehran would not request the party’s intervention if it was subjected to an American attack in response to President Donald Trump’s threats. Parliamentary sources explained that Khatibzadeh stressed that this position comes in view of the imbalance of power with Israel, and Tehran’s appreciation of the delicate situation in Lebanon and to avoid involving the party in an unbalanced confrontation, especially after the American warning that President Aoun received in a call from Foreign Minister Marco Rubio, and conveyed it to Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.
In the internal context, the party faces concerns related to its popular environment and fear of a new wave of displacement if Israeli operations expand towards the south and the southern suburbs, in conjunction with the threats of Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz to expand the security zone. The data also indicate that the general Shiite mood may refuse to remain silent if the party decides to intervene again, as happened last March, contrary to previous pledges, which had created a crisis of confidence within the “Shiite duo” and raised questions about the decision-making center and the extent of the influence of the Iranian “Revolutionary Guard.”
At the level of the bilateral relationship, the sources indicated that the security conditions and Israeli assassinations prevent direct communication between Berri and the party’s Secretary-General Naim Qassem, which is limited to assistants Hussein Khalil and MP Ali Hassan Khalil, describing the current relationship as “political cohabitation” aimed at preventing differences from spreading to the street. Berri’s visitors quoted him as confirming that Lebanon faces “two enemies: Israel and sectarianism,” stressing the priority of national unity, fortifying the home front, and rejecting sectarian rhetoric.
Berri’s distinction from “Hezbollah” is evident in several points, most notably his formation of a political lever for the government, his adherence to civil peace and the military establishment, and his refusal to use the street, in addition to his ministers’ support for the exclusivity of weapons in the hands of the state, and his deputies granting confidence to the government in contrast to the party’s position. In light of the decline in channels of direct communication with the party, Berri’s role is emerging as a primary channel for Arab and foreign delegates, and this was evident in his handling of the file of explosives seized in Dahr al-Baydar to avoid the eruption of government dispute.
