Hezbollah's Qassem calls Iran-US deal turning point for ending Israeli occupation

TEHRAN, Iran — Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem on Wednesday described the Iran-United States agreement as a "turning point," saying it opens a new process toward ending Israel's occupation of seized territory. In his remarks, Qassem argued that the war targeting Iran was aimed at toppling the Tehran government, but that the objective failed and the US project collapsed. He said Israel's project was to "eliminate Hezbollah entirely," which he said would have meant the destruction and displacement of large segments of the Lebanese population. Qassem stated that the resistance had blocked Israel's "Greater Israel" project and prevented Lebanon's collapse. Stressing that the upper limit of any negotiations with Israel is mutual security, he said any attempt to disarm the party "will not pass." He added that the 2024 agreement should continue on the basis of halting Israeli attacks, the withdrawal of Israeli forces, the return of prisoners and the launch of reconstruction. Qassem also said the concept of a "yellow or red zone" is no longer valid and that Israel must withdraw from the territories it still occupies.