Hezbollah chief boasts of ‘new weapons’ after Cyprus assault menace

Hezbollah’s militant leader has boasted of developing ‘new weapons’ that could be used on the ‘front lines’ of a potential conflict with Cyprus, drawing more nations into growing tensions in the Middle East. 

The militant group also hinted at throwing fuel on the fire of conflict between itself and Israel, after publishing chilling footage of its drones scouting targets in the north of its enemy’s territory.

Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the militant group’s chief, claimed in a televised speech on Wednesday that he is in command of new weapons and intelligence capabilities that could help it target more critical positions deeper inside Israel in case of an all-out war. 

‘We now have new weapons. But I won’t say what they are,’ he said in a televised address commemorating a top Hezbollah commander killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon last week. ‘When the decision is made, they will be seen on the front lines.’ 

He said that if Israel chose to escalate a war with Lebanon, there would be wider regional consequences.  

He claimed Hezbollah would attack any other country in the region that assisted Israel in the war effort, citing Cyprus, which has hosted Israeli forces for training exercises. He suggested Cyprus might allow Israel to use its bases in event of a wider war.

Hezbollah’s militant leader (pictured) has boasted of developing ‘new weapons’ that could be used on the ‘front lines’ of a potential conflict with Cyprus

The militant group also hinted at throwing fuel on the fire of conflict between itself and Israel , after publishing chilling footage of its drones scouting targets in the north of its enemy’s territory

Hezbollah members and supporters of the Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite militia bury Commander Hassan Yehya Naameh on May 20

Smoke billows during Israeli bombardment on the village of Khiam in south Lebanon near the border with Israel on June 19, 2024

In response, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides said his island nation ‘is in no way involved’ in any military operations in the region. Cyprus is ‘part of the solution, not part of the problem’ he said, pointing out the Cyprus-Gaza maritime corridor used to deliver aid to the Palestinian territory. 

Nasrallah’s fiery comments came as the monthslong cross-border conflict simmering between Hezbollah and Israel appears to be reaching a boiling point. 

The nearly 10-minute long video published on Tuesday was the clearest indication of a willingness to escalate the conflict. 

The footage allegedly shows reconnaissance drones flying over Haifa, a city deep in Israel. 

Haifa is home to the Port of Haifa, one of Israel’s three international seaports. The city also plays host to a well-developed military base, which the footage claims would be a target in an upcoming conflict. 

The footage, which was geolocated to the western side of the port, claims to show, among other military targets, buildings belonging to a submarine unit, logistics and support ships, Dvora-class patrol ships and German-made Sa’ar corvette warships.   

Smoke rises as a result of an Israeli air strike in the southern Lebanese town of Khiam,

A fire rages resulting from Israeli military shelling that swept over the fields and reached the houses, in the village of Shebaa, close to the southern Lebanese border with Israel

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah delivers a speech via a screen at a memorial ceremony for senior Field Commander, Taleb Sami Abdallah

Nasrallah said Hezbollah has much more footage – an apparent threat it could reach sites deep in Israel.

Israel’s military chief, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, visited Israeli air-defense soldiers near the border with Lebanon on Wednesday, saying Israel was aware of Hezbollah’s capabilities demonstrated in the video and has solutions for these threats.

‘We of course have infinitely greater capabilities,’ he said. ‘I think the enemy is only familiar with a few of them and (we) will confront them at the right time.’

Hezbollah, an ally of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, has been exchanging strikes with Israel almost daily since the war in Gaza erupted on Oct. 7, with the aim to pull Israeli forces away from the embattled Gaza Strip.

Hezbollah’s attacks escalated after Israel expanded its offensive into the southern Gaza city of Rafah in May, and spiked further in June after an Israeli strike killed high-ranking Hezbollah commander Taleb Sami Abdullah, the most senior militant killed so far during the Israel-Hamas war.

Also Tuesday, the Israeli army said it has ‘approved and validated’ plans for an offensive in Lebanon, although the decision to actually launch such an operation would have to come from the country’s political leadership.

The warnings by both sides followed a visit by Joe Biden’s senior adviser Amos Hochstein, who met with officials in Lebanon and Israel in his latest attempt to deescalate tensions. 

Hochstein told reporters in Beirut on Tuesday that it was a ‘very serious situation’ and that a diplomatic solution to prevent a larger war was urgent.

Israel views Hezbollah as its most direct threat, and the two fought a 34-day war in 2006 that ended in a stalemate. 

Hezbollah’s military capabilities have grown significantly since then, and the United States and Israel estimate the group, along with other Lebanese militant factions, has about 150,000 missiles and rockets. Hezbollah also has been working on precision-guided missiles.