Iran's new supreme leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, broke his seclusion and appeared to publicly signal unwavering support for the Lebanese armed faction Hezbollah. Mojtaba also set a hard precondition, saying, "Only if Israel unconditionally halts its attacks on Lebanon can a cease-fire deal be possible."
On the 27th (local time), according to a compilation of reports by Iran's Tasnim News Agency, the Office of the Supreme Leader, in the name of Mojtaba Khamenei, sent a reply to a letter of allegiance from Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem and its fighters, reaffirming solidarity. This is the first time Mojtaba has made a clear external statement since taking office as the new supreme leader. He did not appear even at the funeral of his father, former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. In this letter, Mojtaba said, "We highly value the patience and steadfastness that Hezbollah has shown," adding, "They stand firmly on the front line of resistance against Israel and its backers."
Iran then reiterated that protecting Hezbollah forces is a core national strategy for Iran. Mojtaba said, "Defending the oppressed Hezbollah fighters is the Islamic Republic of Iran's unwavering strategic policy." He went further and set as the first condition for a cease-fire agreement with the United States and others "the preservation of Lebanon's territorial integrity and Israel's complete and unconditional halt to attacks." Praising Hezbollah as "inspiring freedom-loving people around the world seeking to break free from the oppression of arrogance," Mojtaba extended special thanks to residents of southern Lebanon who have supported the armed group's existence.
The letter also specifically commemorated former chief Hassan Nasrallah and commanders who lost their lives while fighting the Iran front. Mojtaba said, "They nurtured the Islamic 'sapling of resistance' into a sturdy tree," adding that "they brought pride to the Islamic world." He then laid bare hostility toward the United States and Israel. He sharply criticized that "the two countries are perpetrating cruel oppression and injustice." He also argued that the only remaining path to break free from tyranny is solely "jihad and resistance," underscoring the justification for armed struggle.
Hezbollah is now in a state of severe damage after continuous clashes with Israel since the Gaza war broke out. The dominant assessment is that Israel's concentrated offensive has sequentially collapsed Hezbollah's core leadership and greatly weakened its military capabilities. The United States and Israel are currently pressing hard that Hezbollah must fully disarm as a condition for a cease-fire. Experts analyzed that Mojtaba's letter is a firm external message aimed at preventing the defection of proxy forces in the Middle East that are on the defensive and at never yielding in the fight against Israel.