The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have confirmed the death of Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, following a targeted strike on the group’s headquarters in southern Beirut on Friday. Nasrallah’s death marks a significant development in the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.
“This is not the end of our toolbox. The message is simple, anyone who threatens the citizens of Israel — we will know how to reach them,” said IDF Chief of the General Staff, Ltf. Herzi Halevi, following the strike.
Initially, a Hezbollah media official claimed that Nasrallah was unharmed. However, early the next morning, Israeli forces confirmed his death. The strike also killed two others and left dozens injured, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
In response to the escalating tensions, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cut short his trip to New York after addressing the United Nations General Assembly. In his speech, he reiterated Israel’s stance on Hezbollah, stating, “As long as Hezbollah chooses the path of war, Israel has no choice, and Israel has every right to remove this threat and return our citizens to their home safely and that’s exactly what we’re doing.”
Following the speech, Netanyahu’s office released a photo showing the prime minister in his New York hotel room, authorizing the operation that targeted Nasrallah.
The strike has broader implications for the region. Rich Goldberg, a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, described Nasrallah’s death as a “strategic game-changer” not only for Hezbollah but for Lebanon, Syria, and Tehran.
“People don’t appreciate that Nasrallah took over for Soleimani as senior strategist for Khamenei,” Goldberg said. “This is not just a strategic game-changer for Hezbollah, Lebanon, and Syria, it’s a strategic game-changer for Tehran.”
He added that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is likely taking control behind the scenes. Goldberg warned that while Iran has so far avoided direct strikes within its borders, Nasrallah’s death may alter the region’s fragile balance. “Should Khamenei decide he’s feeling lucky tonight and order a direct attack, we should reset all our assumptions about what Israel is willing to do inside Iran,” he concluded.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin clarified that the United States was not involved in Israel’s operation and had received no prior warning from the Israeli government.
