A Hezbollah supporter waving a photo of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a demonstration in support of Iran on June 20, 2025. (Credit: Anwar Amro/AFP)
Many in Lebanon today are hoping for the fall of the Iranian regime, which they view as the root of the country’s many woes. Chief among these is Hezbollah’s military support for Gaza in the ongoing war, a move that has pushed Lebanon closer to the brink.Although parties such as the Lebanese Forces, the Kataeb and a number of Sunni and even Shiite independents opposed to Hezbollah avoid publicly calling for regime change in Tehran — often to preserve ties with Hezbollah’s base or maintain diplomatic caution — they privately express confidence that the departure of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in power since 1989, would be a turning point for Lebanon.To them, Khamenei’s fall would likely mean the simultaneous collapse of Hezbollah, whose power and raison d’être are closely tied to Iran and its revolutionary, religious-based...
Many in Lebanon today are hoping for the fall of the Iranian regime, which they view as the root of the country’s many woes. Chief among these is Hezbollah’s military support for Gaza in the ongoing war, a move that has pushed Lebanon closer to the brink.Although parties such as the Lebanese Forces, the Kataeb and a number of Sunni and even Shiite independents opposed to Hezbollah avoid publicly calling for regime change in Tehran — often to preserve ties with Hezbollah’s base or maintain diplomatic caution — they privately express confidence that the departure of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in power since 1989, would be a turning point for Lebanon.To them, Khamenei’s fall would likely mean the simultaneous collapse of Hezbollah, whose power and raison d’être are closely tied to Iran and its revolutionary,...
