Killing of Hezbollah leader brings risk of wider war

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 28, 2024
Contact: press@defensepriorities.org

WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Hezbollah confirmed that Hassan Nasrallah, who led the Lebanon-based militant group for more than 30 years, was killed in an Israeli airstrike. Rosemary Kelanic, Director of the Middle East Program at Defense Priorities, issued the following statement in response:

“The killing of Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s leader, by an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon will not fundamentally alter the course of this conflict. Decapitation strikes against terrorist leaders almost never result in an organization’s collapse. Collapse is especially unlikely when the targeted organization is old, entrenched, and far-reaching, as in the case of Hezbollah. Killing Nasrallah does not substitute for having a theory of victory for how this conflict ends.

“Nasrallah’s death doesn’t change anything for the United States either, except that it further complicates American efforts to negotiate a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah to prevent more bloodshed. The U.S. has no direct national security interest in this conflict. Washington should work more on staying out of the region’s troubles and less on trying to manage it with arms and troop deployments.”

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Author

Rosemary
Kelanic

Director, Middle East Program