Israel's assassination of Hezbollah’s Nasrallah sends warning to 'Axis of Resistance: repercussions spread across region
Shafaq News/ The Israeli military officiallyconfirmed on Saturday the assassination of Hezbollah Secretary-General HassanNasrallah, following an airstrike on the group's headquarters in southernsuburb of Beirut on Friday.
The killing of Nasrallah, who had led Hezbollahfor 32 years, is idely seen as a direct message to Iran, Iraq, Yemen, and othernations aligned with the "Axis of Resistance," signaling that Israel,under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, can target key figures at will.
Kadhim Al-Fartousi, the spokesperson for KataibSayyid al-Shuhada, vowed that the assassination would fuel further conflict."Revenge for Nasrallah has become another reason to fight the enemy. Thebattle has intensified, and all options are now on the table. Operations willnot only continue, but they will escalate both in scale and intensity," hetold Shafaq News.
Al-Fartousi added that retaliatory actions willbe timed strategically, with the resistance awaiting a new operational map toguide their response.
"The assassination of Nasrallah is a majorcrime that changes the dynamics of the conflict with the Zionist entity,"said political analyst Abdul Jalil Al-Zubaidi. He stressed that Nasrallah'ssuccessor would follow the same rules of engagement, ensuring the continuationof Hezbollah's trajectory.
"The loss of Nasrallah is a severe blow to theAxis and to the Arab nations that relied on his leadership and courage inconfronting the Israeli state," Al-Zubaidi added. He also called on theArab world to take a united stance, saying, "This loss affects not onlyHezbollah and Lebanon but everyone. There must be a unified voice to denouncethis crime in Western and Israeli circles."
Mahdi Azizi, head of the New Vision Institute forStudies and Media in Tehran, said that the assassination of Nasrallah wasIsrael's message to Iran, Iraq, Yemen, and the broader resistance. "Israelis demonstrating its ability to reach any target," he stated. However,Azizi pointed out that the resistance movement is not solely dependent on itsleadership. "While we have lost key figures, this does not mean that jihador resistance is over. In fact, the Islamic resistance against the Israelienemy will only grow stronger," he said.
Azizi warned that if Israel remains unchecked, itcould expand its targets to Iraq, Iran, Yemen, and other nations. He referenceda United Nations speech by Netanyahu in which he labeled these countries aspart of the "Axis of Evil."
Azizi concluded, "The resistance willpersist in all its forms. A new balance of power will emerge in the region as adeterrent to Israel."
Lebanese political analyst Hassan Olayan echoedthese sentiments, predicting that Hezbollah’s response would be swift anddevastating. "The resolve of the resistance fighters will only increase,and their painful and earth-shaking retaliation will come. The resistance iswell-prepared and has high operational capacity," he said.
Olayan pointed out that Hezbollah is more than asingle leader. "Hezbollah is a movement rooted in religious tradition.This crime will only hasten the demise of the Zionist entity."
Regional expert Dr. Hakam Amhaz describedNasrallah as an "exceptional leader," loved and trusted by hisfollowers. "His charisma and loyalty were unparalleled, and his absencewill have a profound impact," he told Shafaq News. However, Amhaz stressedthat Hezbollah fighters are driven by their faith, not individuals, and willcontinue to follow Nasrallah's path.
