Hezbollah chief says 'no life' in Lebanon if government confronts group

AL-Monitor
Aug 15, 2025
FILE PHOTO: Lebanon’s Hezbollah Chief Naim Qassem gives a televised speech from an unknown location, July 30, 2025 in this screen grab from video. Al Manar TV/REUTERS TV/via REUTERS/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Lebanon’s Hezbollah Chief Naim Qassem gives a televised speech from an unknown location, July 30, 2025 in this screen grab from video. Al Manar TV/REUTERS TV/via REUTERS/File Photo — AL MANAR TV

BEIRUT (Reuters) -Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem warned the Lebanese government on Friday against confronting the Iran-backed militant group, saying there would be "no life" in Lebanon in that event.

Qassem said Hezbollah and the Amal movement, its Shi'ite Muslim ally, had decided to delay any street protests against a U.S.-backed disarmament plan as they still see room for dialogue with the Lebanese government. But he said any future protests could reach the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon.

(Reporting by Maya Gebeily and Jana Choukeir; editing by Mark Heinrich)