Hezbollah deputy leader Naim Qassem used a televised address on January 17 from a southern suburb of Beirut to denounce what he described as growing American interference in the affairs of sovereign states. He accused the United States of attempting to dominate global affairs by suppressing democratic institutions, religious freedom and national sovereignty, and urged the launch of a worldwide movement to resist such encroachments.
Qassem framed his remarks in regional terms, praising Iran’s resilience in the face of U.S. pressure and calling Tehran “a fortress of resistance.” The speech reiterated the long-standing ideological affinity between Hezbollah and Iran, underscoring the group’s role as both a local political actor in Lebanon and a node in a broader axis that opposes American and Israeli influence in the Middle East.
Turning to Lebanon’s internal security debate, Qassem stressed the centrality of armed resistance, asking rhetorically: “If Hezbollah hands over its weapons, who can guarantee that Israel will not violate our country?” That line encapsulates the group’s argument that its arsenal is necessary for deterrence and national defence, challenging domestic and international calls for disarmament and integration of militias into state institutions.
The speech matters beyond rhetoric. It signals Hezbollah’s intent to maintain a confrontational posture that complicates Lebanon’s fragile politics, hinders state-building efforts, and raises the risk of renewed friction along the Israel-Lebanon frontier. It also feeds into wider U.S.-Iran rivalry by bolstering Tehran-aligned messaging and attempting to rally other states and movements around a sovereignty-based critique of American policy.