The Iran Attacks Opens A New Front – Lebanon & Hezbollah.

Tel Aviv; March 2026: For more than 15 months, Hezbollah has observed a de-facto one-sided ceasefire, absorbing near daily Israeli attacks without responding. The status quo had symbolised the decline of the group that was once considered a fearsome regional force. Yet, the group was not ready to wave the white flag. It projected defiance and rejected calls to disarm, while awaiting for the right time to respond.

Now it has struck back, not only in response to the Israeli violations but to put what remains of its capabilities on the Iranian side of the scales in the ongoing regional war. It is not any secret that Iran has been Hezbollah’s patron, acting as its main funder and weapon supplier. Without Tehran, it would have been difficult for Hezbollah to rebuild its arsenal, pay its fighters or run its social programmes.

So, the fight for the survival of the Iranian ruling system is an existential matter for Hezbollah. The Lebanese group may also be looking to alter the current balance of power that practically allows Israel freedom of military action in Lebanon. But it’s unclear whether it can hurt Israel or meaningfully help Iran in the ongoing conflict. The group’s opening strike consisted of a few rockets that did not result in any casualties.

Hezbollah has lost thousands of fighters since the start of the genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023. Its military wing is believed to have been significantly degraded. And it is dealing with a Lebanese public that is weary of war and crises. At the same time, Hezbollah’s domestic opponents, including Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, are already decrying the attack on Israel, saying that it will only embolden Israeli violations against Lebanon.

In this battle against Israel, after the assassination of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Hezbollah has initiated a strike against Israel on Sunday early morning (IST). In retaliation, the Israeli Defence Force has bombed Beirut Today early morning.

The Iran-allied Lebanese armed group said early on Monday that its attack was in retaliation for the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, “in defence of Lebanon and its people” and “in response to the repeated Israeli aggressions. The resistance leadership has always affirmed that the continuation of Israeli aggression and the assassination of our leaders, youth and people gives us the right to defend ourselves and respond at the appropriate time and place”, the group said in a statement, referring to the near daily Israeli attacks on Lebanon. “The Israeli enemy cannot continue its 15-month-long aggression without a warning response to halt this aggression and withdraw from the occupied Lebanese territories”.

The violence marks a major escalation in what is becoming a regional war between the United States and Israel, on one side, and Iran and its allies on the other. Hezbollah, which operates independently from the Lebanese government, raises doubts as to how much damage it can inflict on Israel or whether its intervention can meaningfully alter the balance of power for Iran.

The Israeli military said it was “vigorously attacking Hezbollah” throughout Lebanon. “The Israeli military will act against Hezbollah’s decision to join the campaign, and will not allow the organisation to pose a threat to Israel and harm the residents of the north”, it said.

“The Hezbollah terror organisation is destroying the state of Lebanon. Responsibility for the escalation lies with it, and the Israeli military will respond forcefully to this harm”. The Israeli military later said that it targeted “senior” Hezbollah members in the Beirut area and a “key” figure in south Lebanon, without providing details.

Israel also called on people in more than 50 villages in south Lebanon and Bekaa the Valley, including the town of Bint Jbeil, to evacuate their homes and stay at least 01 kilometre (0.6 mile) away from the buildings. The warning for such a vast area appears to mirror the mass displacement orders Israel would issue during its genocidal war on Gaza. The escalation could deepen the crisis in Lebanon, which has been suffering from economic and political woes for years. The authorities in Beirut have been pleading with the international community to pressure Israel to end its violations to no avail.

In January, Beirut had filed a complained with the United Nations documenting 2,036 Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty in the final three months of 2025. Last year, the Lebanese government issued a decree to disarm Hezbollah, but the group rejected the decision, arguing that its weapons are needed to protect the country against Israeli expansionism.

On Monday, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the Hezbollah attack was “an irresponsible and suspicious act that jeopardises Lebanon’s security and safety and provides Israel with pretexts to continue its aggression. We will not allow the country to be dragged into new adventures, and we will take all necessary measures to apprehend the perpetrators and protect the Lebanese people”, Salam said on X.

Just now (02^nd March 2026 @ 09:35 hours IST) news have come that the head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary faction, Mohammad Raad, has been killed as a result of an Israeli strike on Beirut, the Al Hadath TV channel reported.

Team Maverick.