Hezbollah supporters shout slogans during an event commemorating the anniversary assassination of late Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
People gather at the site where Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in Israeli airstrikes on Sept. 27, 2024, a day before the first anniversary of his death, in the Haret Hreik suburb south of Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, April 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Iran’s official urges regional unity against Israel as he visits allies in Lebanon
BEIRUT (AP) 鈥 A top Iranian security official called on regional countries on Saturday to put their difference aside and cooperate closely as they face what he called 鈥淚srael鈥檚 conspiracies.鈥
Hezbollah supporters shout slogans during an event commemorating the anniversary assassination of late Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
BEIRUT (AP) 鈥 A top Iranian security official called on regional countries on Saturday to put their difference aside and cooperate closely as they face what he called 鈥淚srael鈥檚 conspiracies.鈥
Ali Larijani, head of Iran鈥檚 Supreme National Security Council, where he arrived earlier Saturday to attend the anniversary of Israel鈥檚 assassination of Hezbollah leader in Lebanon.
Iran has been the main backer of Hezbollah over the past four decades, supplying it with weapons and money that had turned it one of the most powerful militant groups in the region. But Hezbollah suffered heavy losses in a 14-month war with Israel, which ended with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in November, with much of its political and military commanders killed in Israeli strikes.
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The latest Israel-Hezbollah conflict began the day after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel triggered the ongoing war in Gaza. Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel from Lebanon in support of Hamas and the Palestinians.
In June, Israel launched airstrikes in Iran, triggering a between the two countries that killed several key Iran’s military commanders and targeted its arsenal of ballistic missiles while decimating the country鈥檚 air defenses.
Earlier this month, Israel struck the headquarters of Hamas鈥 political leadership in as the group鈥檚 top figures gathered to consider a U.S. proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strp.
鈥淭oday, amid Israel鈥檚 conspiracies, regional states should closely cooperate and even if there were disagreements between them they should put these disagreements aside,鈥 Larjani said after a nearly one-hour meeting with Lebanon鈥檚 Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.
Larijani praised the call by Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem for Saudi Arabia after years of tense relations, calling it 鈥渁 step in the right direction.鈥 Referring to Israel, Larijani said Saudi Arabia and Hezbollah both 鈥渉ave a common enemy.鈥
Asked about reports that Israel might launch new strikes against Iran, Larijani said, 鈥淲e are ready to face all scenarios but I don鈥檛 think that the Israelis will behave in this stupid way.鈥
鈥淚f they do that, they will receive strong retaliation,鈥 Larijani said, without elaborating.
