#tripoli-lna-rivalry

#tripoli-lna-rivalry

The ambassador's refusal to leave reflects a deeper political contest over legitimacy and authority, as tensions rise between supporters and opponents of Hezbollah amid the ongoing conflict.

Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei vowed retaliation against Israel and the U.S. for its campaign against Iran. He also thanked Hezbollah in Lebanon, the pro-Iranian militias in Iraq and the Houthis in Yemen for their support, suggesting the Houthis could be next to join the war.

Implementation of the government's decision to disarm Hezbollah was more plausible today than in previous years because the decision reflects unusually broad national backing, including from within the Shia political sphere. Amal's vote in favour signals that support for consolidating arms under state authority is no longer framed purely as a sectarian or anti-resistance demand, but increasingly as a state-stabilisation necessity especially amid economic collapse and regional escalation.

Within hours of the United States-Israeli attacks on Iran, US assets in Iraq's Kurdistan region came under retaliatory attacks from Tehran-backed groups, dragging the country into the conflict that has since expanded across the Middle East and beyond. Since then, US assets located in Iraq have come under multiple attacks from pro-Iran groups and Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard Corps (IGRC).

Iran has attacked the Gulf Arab states, hitting civilian buildings and energy infrastructure, as well as military bases hosting United States forces in the Gulf. The impact of the US-Israeli strikes on Iran is being felt across the region.