As the world holds its breath over the escalating Iran-Israel conflict, global powers are urging de-escalation, hoping to prevent a broader war with potentially nuclear consequences. In this tense context, Naim Qassem stands out for his defiance of caution. Even the United States—Israel’s closest ally—is proceeding carefully, wary of being drawn into a reckless escalation.
Yet, Sheikh Naim Qassem has already made his choice.
Actually, Naim Qassem remains locked in a profound state of psychological denial—unable to grasp that since last September, his party has been sliding steadily toward the edge of an irreversible collapse. The fate of Hezbollah’s arsenal is no longer a matter of debate, but simply a matter of time. And yet, rather than adopt a position of caution or neutrality in the current conflict, Qassem presses forward—his refusal to step back only underscoring just how deeply he remains out of touch with the reality unfolding around him.
The real surprise isn’t what Sheikh Naim Qassem said—his role as the representative of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic in Lebanon is well established and uncontested. Hezbollah’s Secretary-General has never been a Lebanese political figure in the conventional sense. He functions more as an envoy of a foreign theocracy governed by the doctrine of Wilayat al-Faqih. This is not an accusation—it’s a political and historical fact that even Hezbollah acknowledges.
What is truly troubling, however, is the utter silence of Lebanon’s official authorities. No one has stepped forward to say, clearly and unequivocally: enough. You do not decide matters of war and peace—not anymore, and not ever.
Truthfully, even if Sheikh Naim wanted to support Iran—just as he attempted and failed to support Gaza—he simply lacks the military capabilities to do so. His failed attempt to back Gaza brought his group to the brink of self-destruction. And even if those capabilities were at his disposal, he remains gripped by the very real fear that plagued his predecessors, two of whom were assassinated within hours of one another.
Given that Israel targets every vehicle suspected of links to Hezbollah—and under the terms of the humiliating defeat agreement Hezbollah signed—how can Sheikh Naim justify his steadfast rejection of neutrality? He is fully aware that Israeli drones hover over him like an ever-present sun.
Talk is cheap and Qassem knows it. His frenzied rhetoric aims at rallying his base—no more, no less. But the real issue lies deeper: Sheikh Naim remains trapped in a state of denial stretching back to last September, and this pathological mindset is, to say the least, fundamentally at odds with the current political reality.
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