Trump criticized German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for declining to provide military support to secure the Strait of Hormuz, stating, 'This is not our war.' He misattributed this line to Merz, as it was actually said by Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.
The ongoing United States-Israel attack on Iran, triggered by the assassination of Iran's supreme leader last Saturday, has rekindled military and political action between Lebanon and Israel, as Hezbollah again takes centre stage while facing the most existential crisis in its history. Every aspect of Hezbollah's political position in Lebanon, its military capabilities, and its war plans against Israel is now under intense scrutiny from regional and domestic actors.
When the time comes for any stance, we will not hesitate. Iran would expect Hezbollah to contribute if a US-Iran war scenario materializes, most plausibly by pressuring Israel. However, Hezbollah is also navigating an increasingly complicated domestic environment with integrationist pressure by Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun and the organization's stake in Lebanon's political future as a national actor, which raise the costs of a major, open-ended war.
Much of the fighting was concentrated around the strategic hilltop city of Khiam, with the Israel Defense Forces carrying out an air and artillery campaign against Hezbollah fighters dug into the city. Fighting escalated there after days of clashes, with a Hezbollah spokesperson acknowledging there were heightened clashes on the eastern and northern outskirts of the city.
IDF troops from the 91st division have begun limited and targeted ground operations against key Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon, aimed at enhancing the forward defence area. This operation is part of the effort to establish the forward defence, which includes destroying terrorist infrastructure and eliminating terrorists.