Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Hezbollah leader Syyed Hassan Nasrallah to flee Lebanon days before he was killed in an Israeli strike. Khamenei was deeply worried about Israeli infiltration of senior government ranks in Tehran, according to three Iranian sources.
After an attack on Hezbollah’s booby-trapped pagers, Khamenei sent a message to Nasrallah through an envoy urging him to leave for Iran due to intelligence reports of Israeli operatives within Hezbollah. However, Nasrallah refused to leave Lebanon.
Khamenei ordered a retaliation attack on Israel following Nasrallah’s death, leading to heightened tensions between the two nations. The situation has revealed deep insecurities within Iran’s Axis of Resistance alliance and raised concerns about Hezbollah’s leadership and future.
Hezbollah is facing challenges in choosing a new leader and has launched investigations to root out Israeli spies within its ranks. Iran’s fears of Israeli penetration have led to internal investigations and soul-searching within the country’s security apparatus.
The fallout from Nasrallah’s assassination has left both Iran and Hezbollah struggling to rebuild trust and security, with implications for future conflicts with Israel.