Iran has warned Lebanon’s Hezbollah of a potential Israeli plan to assassinate the movement’s Secretary-General, Hassan Nasrallah, Yedioth Ahronoth has reported.
According to the Israeli newspaper, an Iranian envoy arrived in Beirut immediately after the assassination of Taleb Sami Abdullah, the commander of Hezbollah’s Nasr unit in southern Lebanon. The envoy met with close associates of Nasrallah in a closed room to convey “Iran’s concern — shared by Hezbollah — that Israel is now targeting Nasrallah himself.”
Rai Al-Youm said that the Israeli newspaper added that Hezbollah has long believed that Israel does not intend to eliminate Nasrallah, despite his 32 years of leadership of the Lebanese Shia movement. While Nasrallah remains the most prominent figure in Hezbollah, the newspaper mentioned that reports naming potential successors often unsettle him. It is believed that Tel Aviv has been leaking such information to weaken him and create internal tension within the Hezbollah leadership.
Yedioth Ahronoth also reported that the Mossad spy agency apparently “knows for sure where the Hezbollah leader is at any given moment; even if he changes locations, Israel is well-informed.”
Despite the increased security around him, former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen stated recently that Israel knows the exact location of the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, and it can eliminate him at any moment. He claimed that if a decision is made to settle scores with Nasrallah, Israel can do so at any time.
The continued targeting of Hezbollah leaders in Lebanon by Israel, which has affected more than 300 individuals, raises questions about the strategic goal behind the assassinations, especially amid preparations announced by Israeli officials for war across the northern border area.
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