By: Rao Farman Ali
“Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, head of the terrorist organization, has been eliminated,” wrote Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee in a statement on X (formerly Twitter).
First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref warned Israel that Nasrallah’s death would “bring about their destruction”, Iran’s ISNA news agency quoted him as saying.
The foreign ministry of Iran, which finances and arms Hezbollah, said Nasrallah’s work will continue after his death. “His sacred goal will be realised in the liberation of Quds (Jerusalem), God willing,” spokesman Nasser Kanani posted on X.
Supreme leader Ali Khamenei announced five days of public mourning.
UN chief Antonio Guterres said he was “gravely concerned by the dramatic escalation of events in Beirut …..”.
For his supporters, Nasrallah was a symbol of resistance against Israel and a strong opposition to the United States. To his adversaries, he was the leader of a terrorist organization acting as a proxy for Iran’s Shiite Islamist regime in the battle for regional dominance, in Middle East
Over the last year, Nasrallah’s influence has been on display as Hezbollah entered the Gaza war, firing on Israel in support of Hamas.
Other groups from Yemen and Iraq also joined the fray under the “Axis of Resistance.” In a speech on August 1 at the funeral of Hezbollah’s top military commander, Fuad Shukr, who was killed in an Israeli strike, Nasrallah said, “We are facing a significant battle.” But as Israeli strikes intensified, targeting Hezbollah’s communication networks and killing many of its members, Hezbollah’s position started to falter.
Following attacks on Hezbollah’s communications, Nasrallah promised retaliation in a speech on September 19. He declared that a reckoning would come, though he provided no details about its timing or nature. After that speech, he did not make any further public addresses.
Meanwhile, Israel ramped up its attacks on Hezbollah, killing several senior commanders and launching extensive airstrikes in Hezbollah-controlled regions, causing widespread devastation including killing of women and children. Even Nasrallah’s critics acknowledged his skill as an orator. His speeches, delivered with the black turban of a sayyed (a descendent of the Prophet Muhammad), were closely watched by both allies and adversaries.
Nasrallah took over as Hezbollah’s leader in 1992 at the age of 35, following the assassination of his predecessor Sayyed Abbas al-Musawi by Israel. Under his leadership, Hezbollah drove Israeli forces out of southern Lebanon in 2000, ending an 18-year occupation.
Nasrallah’s leadership was largely shaped by the group’s ongoing conflict with Israel. After Hezbollah fought Israel for 34 days in 2006, Nasrallah declared it a “Divine Victory,” earning him the respect of many Arabs who had previously seen Israel consistently defeat their armies.
However, Hezbollah’s expansion into conflicts beyond Lebanon, particularly in Syria, where it supported President Bashar al-Assad, led to growing division. While Nasrallah framed Hezbollah’s role in Syria as a fight against jihadists, critics argued that the group had become enmeshed in a sectarian struggle. At home in Lebanon, Hezbollah’s increasing involvement in regional conflicts strained relations with Gulf Arab countries, contributing to Lebanon’s financial collapse in 2019.
After the 2006 war, Nasrallah carefully managed the risk of another full-scale conflict with Israel, amassing Iranian rockets and maintaining a balance of threats. The Gaza war, triggered by Hamas’ attack on Israel in October last year , saw Hezbollah engage in its most significant conflict with Israel since 2006, leading to the loss of many fighters, including top commanders.
In an August 1 speech, Nasrallah said, “We are paying the price for our support of Gaza and the Palestinian cause,” referring to Hezbollah’s involvement in the conflicts.
China and Russia have been key strategists in the Middle East, particularly in relation to Hezbollah and its leader, Hassan Nasrallah. Rather than directly supporting Hezbollah’s military activities, their involvement stems from a broader geopolitical strategy aimed at maintaining stability in the region. This careful balancing act helps prevent conflicts from escalating into larger, global wars like World War III. Through diplomatic and strategic manoeuvers, both nations seek to avoid widespread conflict while preserving their own interests in the region.
While China does not publicly align with Hezbollah, it is concerned about any escalation of conflict that could threaten the global economy, particularly the flow of oil through the Middle East.
Moscow’s primary interest is maintaining its strategic military presence in the Middle East, particularly in Syria, where it has naval bases and significant military infrastructure.
However, Russia plays a delicate balancing act.
It maintains good relations with Israel, with frequent communication between Russian and Israeli military officials to avoid unintended clashes. No matter, Moscow strongly condemns Israel’s killing of Hezbollah leader , the Russian foreign ministry said on Saturday, calling it “yet another political assassination”. Additionally ,China said it is “deeply concerned” and “closely following” soaring tensions in the Middle East, after Israel killed Hezbollah leader.
Furthermore, Pakistan on Sunday condemned Israeli “adventurism” in the Middle East region, terming the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon a “reckless act”, constituting a major escalation in the region.
Throughout his leadership, Nasrallah frequently issued warnings to powerful enemies. As tensions escalated in the region after the Gaza war began, he directed a thinly veiled threat toward U.S. warships in the Mediterranean, stating, “We have prepared for the fleets you threaten us with.” In 2020, following the U.S. assassination of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, Nasrallah vowed that U.S. forces would be driven out of the Middle East.
Equally, US President Joe Biden said that Hezbollah, under Hassan Nasrallah’s watch, US claimed that he had been responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans. Other countries like UK, Germany , Canada, Argentina etc asked for immediate ceasefire and pitched for de-escalation of tension in the region.
Equally,
Anti-Israel protests were witnessed in Kashmir against the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon.
Nasrallah was also a vocal critic of Saudi Arabia, particularly regarding its intervention in Yemen. He called on Riyadh and the United Arab Emirates to end their involvement in the Yemen war to avoid destruction. However,
Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud told the UN about the killing of Hasan that -“this escalation will have negative repercussions for the entire region”, adding,
“We call upon all parties to show wisdom and to show restraint in order to avoid a true war from breaking out in the region”.
Nevertheless, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on X that Lebanon was being subjected to a “genocide”, without referring directly to Nasrallah.
Within Lebanon, Nasrallah’s Hezbollah often clashed with adversaries. In 2008, when the Lebanese government, backed by the West and Saudi Arabia, tried to dismantle Hezbollah’s communication network, Nasrallah accused them of declaring war. Hezbollah responded with force, seizing control of half of Beirut during four days of fighting.
Nasrallah also denied Hezbollah’s involvement in the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, even after a U.N.-backed tribunal indicted four Hezbollah members. In 2020, the tribunal convicted three of them in absentia, but Nasrallah rejected the court as a tool of Hezbollah’s enemies.
In the tale of Hassan Nasrallah, people see the torment of a man and people caught in the tragic vortex of unending conflict. Nasrallah embodies the profound duality of man—both hero and villain, beloved and despised, a leader praised for his defiance and yet condemned for the destruction he brought.
Hezbollah, under his command, mirrors the inner struggle of a nation torn apart by external forces and the perennial thirst for retribution. Nasrallah, a man bound by fate to lead in times of war, could never escape the shadow of violence. His fight against Israel—like any battle driven by vengeance and historical grievances—was a Sisyphean endeavour, an endless cycle of pain where victory and defeat are nearly indistinguishable, for each comes at an unbearable cost.
