Supporters of Hezbollah brandishing photos of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a demonstration celebrating the cease-fire between Iran and Israel after 12 days of war, June 25, 2025. (Credit: Haitham Moussa/AFP)
BEIRUT — The protest movement in Iran, which appeared to escalate overnight from Thursday to Friday, does not seem to worry Hezbollah.
While the Iranian foreign minister is touring Beirut, the party has chosen not to issue any official comment on the demonstrations and unrest shaking Iran. Party figures have instead sought to downplay the scale of the protests, which have already left dozens dead, according to rights groups.
“The media are exaggerating and inflating the number of demonstrators to create the impression that the protests could bring down the regime,” a Hezbollah insider told L’Orient-Le Jour on condition of anonymity and speaking on his own behalf.
“The regime is not in danger. It will not fall,” the source said, adding that alongside genuinely angry protesters are “troublemakers” seeking to destabilize Iran and its system.
The comments echo remarks earlier Friday by Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who accused “vandals and saboteurs” of exploiting the unrest.
Claims of foreign involvement
The Hezbollah source also pointed to what he described as “clear American and Israeli attempts” to exploit the protests for political purposes. The remarks come as U.S. President Donald Trump has warned of possible intervention if Iranian authorities continue to kill protesters, and after Israel’s Mossad said at the outset of the unrest that it supported the movement.
On the potential impact of the protests on Hezbollah, the source said Iran “remains present in Lebanon because Hezbollah and those who believe in resistance and the fight against Israel still exist.”
He added that the timing of Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s visit to Beirut shows that “what is circulating in the media and on social networks is an amplification of reality.”
Qassem Kassir, an analyst close to Hezbollah, said it was “still too early to assess what is happening in Iran,” noting that the authorities have so far managed to contain the situation. He pointed to demonstrations held in recent days in support of the regime as further evidence.
“For now, the situation in Iran will not have negative repercussions on Hezbollah,” Qassir said, citing Araghchi’s presence in Beirut and his public reiteration of Iran’s support for “Lebanon and Hezbollah.”
This article was originally published in French in L'Orient-Le Jour.
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