Lebanese Parliament Member Samy Gemayel criticized Hezbollah's public support for Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on social media this week, urging the group to stop dragging Lebanon into Tehran’s conflicts.
“If you want to defend your guardian (Ali Khamenei), go to him… but leave Lebanon alone,” Gemayel wrote.
In a recent statement, Hezbollah's Secretary-General Naim Qassem stated the terrorist organization would gather "in solidarity and support for the Islamic Republic of Iran and for the inspiring leader, Imam Sayyid Ali Khamenei.”
“When Trump or others threaten Imam Khamenei with murder, it means he is threatening tens of millions, if not more, and this is something that cannot be ignored.”
The statements come after weeks of a deadly crackdown against protestors in Iran who are calling for the end of the Islamic Republic, and rising tensions between the US and Iran.
Qassem’s statements
On Monday, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem warned that the terror group "will not stand idly by in the face of any attack against Iran," stating that any attack on the Iranian Supreme Leader would be “the elimination of stability and the status quo in the region and the world.”
"The narrative of arrogance from the US, Israel, and their partners is based on consent to the rule of the oppressive and criminal strongman. The war on Iran this time could ignite the region," he warned.
"Iran has helped us for 43 years, and is still fighting to liberate the land," he concluded.
Qassem's comments come after the head of the Lebanese delegation to the ceasefire and disarmament committee, Simon Karam, stated earlier on Monday that Hezbollah has not given any information about its weapons and facilities to the Lebanese Armed Forces, Al Arabiya cited.
Gemayel’s previous responses to Hezbollah
In April 2025, after the Lebanese Army took control of most Hezbollah military sites in southern Lebanon, Gemayel called on Hezbollah to disarm and hand security control over to the Lebanese state.
He is a longtime critic of Hezbollah’s military wing, accusing Hezbollah of “wanting to implement an Islamic state in Lebanon,” after the 2006 Lebanon War.
In a December 2024 interview, Gemayel said, “Hezbollah lost its power and right to be called a resistance movement once it took part in supporting the Syrian Government,” calling them “an Iranian tool [who are] sacrificing Lebanon’s future for the sake of Iran’s interests.”