Israel's Last Stand Against Hezbollah and Iran?

With each passing day since Israel launched its ongoing military campaign against Iran on June 13, the question of whether Hezbollah will enter the conflict—whether at Iran ’s request or of its own accord—has become more pressing. Will the Lebanese Shiite party join the fight, despite its defeat in the two-month war last year (September–November, 2024), in which Israel wreaked. A Hezbollah spokesperson told Newsweek on Friday that the Lebanese group remains committed to a ceasefire agreement with Israel after the country launched a sweeping series of attacks against Iran. Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem to tread carefully Friday after the latter said his terror group would “act as we see fit” in the war between Israel and. As Iran and Israel exchange direct attacks, Hezbollah — Tehran’s most powerful regional ally — has chosen to stay on the sidelines. The Lebanon-based group, weakened by last year’s Israeli strikes and under domestic and international pressure, has publicly pledged loyalty to Iran but held back militarily. Cross-border fighting has returned to a lower intensity following Israel’s preemptive strike in Lebanon, but the conflict could escalate again, and a reprisal from Iran remains likely. Hezbollah watches on as Iran and Israel battle, for now The Lebanese group is depleted after fighting Israel last year, but may intervene if the Israel - Iran conflict continues. Israel decimated the group’s leadership last fall and degraded its military capabilities. Can the same strategy work against a far more powerful foe? Israel strikes Iran after neutralizing Hezbollah as Tehran’s response falters, exposing deep regional shifts and vulnerabilities. Administration officials have been anticipating a response from Iran to Israel’s killing of Hezbollah’s leader , Hassan Nasrallah , and today’s invasion of southern Lebanon.