Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah was assassinated in an Israeli attack on southern Beirut that used U.S.-supplied 2,000-lb. "bunker buster" bombs on a heavily populated residential area, violating the Geneva Convention.
Both the U.S. and Israel have made it clear that they don't care about international law, as members of the Biden Admin rushed to released a flurry of statements showing their support for Israel, and cheering on Nasrallah's death, while claiming they want to see de-escalation.
But de-escalation is the last thing the region is seeing right now, as Israel continues to bomb both the Gaza Strip and Lebanon (killing dozens of civilians), Yemen's Ansar Allah fire a ballistic missile at Israel's airport upon Netanyahu's return, and both Iran and Hezbollah vow retaliation.
So, how did we get to this point, where do tensions stand, and where does the conflict go from here? Let’s get into it…
First and foremost, I want to talk about the shock of Hasan Nasrallah’s death. He has been the Secretary General of Hezbollah for 32 years, after he succeeded the former leader, who was also killed by an Israeli airstrike (along with his wife and son).
It was under Nasrallah’s leadership that Hezbollah drove out the invading Israeli forces from southern Lebanon in 2000 and put an end to an 18-year occupation. Nasrallah was also instrumental in winning the 2006 war against Israel, calling it a “Divine Victory.”
When it comes to the Western media reporting on Nasrallah’s legacy, the one thing I noticed over and over again was that they were critical of him for his support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in the Western-backed attempt to overthrow him. They claim Nasrallah was an “increasingly divisive figure” in the region, and that his critics said he was getting involved too far beyond Lebanon.
But while pro-Israel talking heads in the U.S. have been quick to claim Nasrallah was “antisemitic” or a “terrorist,” I think it’s important to pay attention to what he was actually against: Imperialism.
And there is no greater form of imperialism than when Western countries march into the Middle East and determine that they are going to create a new state, which is centered around a certain type of people, and they then forcefully displace 700,000 people, or 85% of the people living there. Yet, the U.S. acts like they just can’t understand why the Middle East hasn’t warmly embraced their Zionist Colonialist project, when that project is using weapons branded with “Made in the USA” to kill and displace people all over the region.
I have had the opportunity to interview a number of people from Lebanon over the last year, several of which have become regulars here on my show, and they each voice their frustration—not with the Jewish people, but with the West and its imperialist mindset. With the West for invading their lands and expelling their people. For waging wars on their homes, and on their people.
So, no, I don’t think Nasrallah was antisemitic. But I do think he was anti-imperialist, and we saw evidence of that through his entire career.
Another thing that the West can’t seem to figure out about Nasrallah, was why he ordered Hezbollah to engage in a direct conflict with Israel nearly one year ago, after Israel began its genocidal bombardment and blockade of the Palestinians, in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attacks.
But one thing Nasrallah made clear over several speeches he gave in the last year is that he knew the fight for the Palestinians was the ultimate fight. He also knew the international community was not going to take up that fight, or even do the bare minimum.
As Nasrallah noted during a speech back in January, the international community was doing nothing. Every time the United Nations Security Council came up with a resolution to demand a ceasefire in Gaza, the U.S. would just come sweeping in with its veto power, in defense of Israel.
But here’s the thing… Hezbollah could have pursued a full-scale war against Israel at any point in the last year. But they didn’t. One thing Nasrallah made clear was that while the aim of the border clashes with Israel was to ensure that Netanyahu’s government was combatted by resistance forces on multiple fronts, and that Israel never had a day of rest in the north… the goal was also to never take the attention away from the plight of the Palestinians. The Palestinians, who are currently being starved to death, have no medical care, are dodging the bombs Israel is dropping on schools, hospitals and refugee camps, and are being displaced over and over.
That’s why, even as Israel carried out terror attacks across Lebanon that targeted civilians with exploding pagers and over devices; even as Israel bombed Lebanon, killed over 700 people—the overwhelming majority of them, civilians; Nasrallah did not back down from his original mission. And when talks were held about the possibility of a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah last week… Nasrallah demanded a ceasefire for Gaza too.
In fact, as anonymous Israeli officials told NBC News, that’s why they went forward with the plan to assassinate Nasrallah on Friday. Because he “would not accept any diplomatic solution to end the fighting on the Israel-Lebanon border that was not tied to end an in the war in Gaza.”
His goal was literally to stop an ongoing genocide. And Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah did more for the Palestinians than anyone else, not just in the region, but in the world. He was a true martyr, and his legacy will be tough to follow.
In the statement confirming Nasrallah’s death, Hezbollah vowed to continue “confronting the enemy, in support of Gaza and Palestine, and in defense of Lebanon and its steadfast and honorable people.”
Now, I want to turn to the attack that was carried out. Israel had been targeting the southern suburbs of Beirut for days with various bombings, despite the fact that it is a heavily populated civilian area.
But if Israel’s conduct for the entire 76 years of its existence, along with its genocide of the Palestinians over the last year alone, have taught us anything… Israel does not care about international law. (Then again, why should they? The U.S. bails them out every single time)
On Friday, Israel targeted Beirut, completely leveling at least four apartment buildings, with a New York Times analysis noting Israel also bombed an additional four apartment buildings in the same neighborhood.
But their target was under those buildings. As Al Jazeera reported, citing Israeli media, Israel used around 85 “ground penetration munitions” to carry out this attack. The bombs weigh between 2,000 and 4,000 pounds EACH. They’re referred to as “bunker-buster” missiles because they burrow deep into the ground before they detonate and can penetrate 30 meters of earth or six meters of concrete, creating shockwaves that can collapse other structures.
It’s also important to note: the Geneva Convention outlaws the use of these bombs in densely populated areas due to the risk of mass and indiscriminate casualties. But again, Israel does not care.
In fact, they’re proud of it. As reports noted, the IDF released images showing F-15i fighter jets of the Israeli Air Force’s 69th Squadron taking off to carry out the assassination of Nasrallah. These jets are equipped with at least 15 2,000-pound munitions with an American-made precision guidance system that attaches to bombs.
Speaking of American-made… it was no secret how Israel got their hands on them, as the Wall Street Journal reported last December that the 2,000-lb. bombs were among the arsenal the Biden Administration had gone into overdrive to send to Israel after Oct. 7. They also noted that with the new shipments, the U.S. urged Israel to reduce civilian causalities—and we see how well Israel clearly listened.
Right on cue, the Biden Administration claimed it had no idea about the planned attack on Nasrallah, and that Israel only let them know about it once the attack was actually being carried out.
But does the U.S. condemn the violation of international law using they bombs THEY sent Israel? Of course not. Instead, Biden’s National Security spokesperson John Kirby went on and on about how the U.S. stands with Israel, and even claimed that the assassination of Nasrallah was “good for the world.”
Oh, and if you have any questions about what kind of message the U.S. is sending to Israel, just remember that this week they announced another $8.7 BILLION in military aid for Israel. (Because you can always count on the U.S. to ensure the international, rules-based order… as long as they make the rules, and they give the orders)
So, where do we go from here?
Israel is still carrying out massacre after massacre of the Palestinian people in the Gaza strip. And Israel is still bombing Lebanon, with reports saying that dozens have been killed today alone.
And despite Hezbollah twice expelling Israeli occupation forces from Lebanon in the past… you now have reports that Israel is considering yet another ground invasion—as they stand emboldened by the assassination of Nasrallah, and the continued support they are receiving from the U.S.
Because not a single member of the Biden Administration has condemned Israel’s latest attacks. In fact, both Biden and Harris rushed to release statements on Saturday, vowing their support for Israel, with Biden saying he ordered Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to send additional military assets to the region.
Because, again, while Biden claims he wants to see de-escalation in the region, he’s just further enabling and fueling the escalation in the region.
That also means escalation when it comes to the attacks targeting Israel, with Hezbollah increasing its barrage of rockets into Northern Israel, and Ansar Allah in Yemen, also targeting Israel’s Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv with a ballistic missile, as Netanyahu landed upon his return from the UN General Assembly in New York. Israel was quick to note that they shot it down. But it still shows Yemen’s capabilities, and it hit awfully close to home.
Then there’s the question of Iran. The country also showcased a portion of its capabilities to target Israel earlier this year when it retaliated for an Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria. But Iran also has yet to retaliate for Israel’s assassination of Palestinian Diplomat and Hamas Political Chief Ismael Haniyeh back at the end of July.
In response to the assassination of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Iran’s Supreme Leader released a statement on X on Saturday, in which he called for all Muslims to “stand with the people of Lebanon and the honorable Hezbollah, offering their resources and assistance as Hezbollah confronts the usurping, cruel, malicious Zionist regime.”
He went on to vow that “the blows struck by the Resistance Front on the worn-out, deteriorating body of the Zionist regime will become even more crushing.”
That’s as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian vowed that Tehran will deliver a “decisive” response to Israel for its crimes.
Notably, the recently elected Iranian president has said in the past that he wants to pursue improved relations with the West. He wants an end to the Western sanctions on the country that have impacted its people. But he is now being forced to respond, as Israel further escalates tensions, with the help of the U.S.
The reality is that I don’t know where this goes from here. I’ve been watching and reading over the last few days… noting the opinions of those who believe that Hezbollah will come back with a stronger than ever response, and those who believe Hezbollah is finished, and that it will never recover from the loss of Nasrallah. I don’t have a crystal ball to tell you if it will be option A, option B, or even an option C we’re not yet considering.
But one thing I have noticed about Hezbollah is that it has always recovered. When the group’s previous leader was assassinated by Israel, then Nasrallah came to power, and the group became stronger than ever. Hezbollah also has far better weapons capabilities, and it is much larger and more powerful than it was 30 years ago.
It may take time, and it won’t happen overnight. But if there is anything we have learned in the last year, it’s that resistance movements are never defeated. There will always be a resistance. And as is the case with Israel and the genocide it is carrying out against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip… every massacre they commit further helps to strengthen the public support for the resistance.
It remains to be seen what Hezbollah will do next, what Iran will next, and even what Israel will do next—but we know exactly what the U.S. will do. We know it will provide endless weapons and support for Israel, while also blocking any action at the UN Security Council.
But we also know what the U.S. could do. It could end all of this right now, with just a single phone call. It could have prevented the assassination of Nasrallah, it could have refused to send 2,000-lb bombs, it could have ended the genocide in Gaza long before it ever started, and on and on. For as long as the U.S. refuses to use its power to end the slaughter of innocent lives, it will be complicit in every one of Israel’s crimes—and that is something everyone should be talking about.
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