Beirut, September 19, 2025 – Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem on Friday called on Saudi Arabia to “turn a new page” with the Iran-backed group, urging the kingdom to set aside past disputes and build a unified front against Israel.
In a televised address, Qassem said regional powers should view Israel—not Hezbollah—as the main threat to the Middle East. He proposed mending ties with Riyadh, emphasizing that Hezbollah’s arms are directed solely at Israel, not at Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, or other countries. He added that pressuring Hezbollah ultimately serves Israel’s interests.
Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states designated Hezbollah a terrorist organization in 2016. In recent months, Riyadh, alongside Washington and Hezbollah’s rivals in Lebanon, has pressed Beirut to disarm the group, which was significantly weakened by last year’s war with Israel.
Relations between Saudi Arabia and Lebanon sharply deteriorated in 2021, when Riyadh expelled the Lebanese ambassador, recalled its envoy, and banned Lebanese imports, accusing Hezbollah of controlling Lebanon’s political decisions. Hezbollah’s late secretary-general, Hassan Nasrallah, previously criticized Saudi Arabia’s role in Yemen and called Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman a “terrorist.”
Recent regional developments—including Israel’s offensive against Hezbollah and the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December—appear to have prompted Qassem’s overtures to Riyadh, signaling potential shifts in Middle Eastern alliances.
