Der Iran-Krieg breitet sich auf den Libanon aus

This weekend, after Israel and the United States assassinated Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Iranian government promised vengeance, swearing to “strike you with such painful blows that you will beg for mercy.” Across the Middle East, a network of Iranian allies known as the Axis of Resistance went on notice. The paramilitary group Hezbollah was the first to act—despite pleas from the Lebanese government to stay out of the war. Hezbollah had been quiescent since November, 2024, when it agreed to a ceasefire with Israel that ended a vicious 14-month conflict; during the ceasefire, Hezbollah had carried out one attack, while Israel had sent thousands of drones over the border and launched near-daily strikes that killed more than 350 Lebanese, including children. On Sunday, at around midnight Beirut time, Hezbollah sent what it described as a “barrage of precision missiles and a swarm of drones” toward an Israeli missile-defense site south of Haifa. The projectiles failed to reach their target, but the Israeli military struck back fiercely. After issuing evacuation notices for 53 towns in southern Lebanon, it pummelled targets from the border to the southern suburbs of Beirut. By daybreak, the death toll was at least 31.

In Beirut, a familiar, traumatic routine set in. Schools closed, and an exodus of people fleeing the attacks jammed the streets with traffic, trapping drivers for hours. Apartment buildings were felled by air strikes, and smoke billowed from the blasts; the buzz of Israeli drones filled the air. But there were crucial differences. The previous war had been initiated by Hezbollah in solidarity with the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023. This time, many Lebanese were less willing to accept Hezbollah’s decision to engage Israel. And, this time, the Lebanese government openly turned on Hezbollah. Read Rania Abouzeid’s full report: [https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/the-iran-war-spreads-to-lebanon](https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/the-iran-war-spreads-to-lebanon)

Spreads? Hezbollah functionally *is an arm of Iran*. This is the same war.