Israel dismantles Iran-backed terror leadership while Arab factions protect Hezbollah’s weapons and sabotage regional peace.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized Monday that President Donald Trump fully supports Israel’s right to defend itself—an affirmation delivered after Israel’s precision strike in Beirut, which eliminated Hezbollah’s highly dangerous Chief of Staff, Haytham Ali Tabataba’i.
While she had not yet spoken with the President about this specific operation, Leavitt made Trump’s stance unmistakably clear:
“The President supports Israel’s right to defend itself and to take out any terrorist threats.”
The IDF confirmed that its Intelligence Directorate guided the operation that killed Tabataba’i, one of Hezbollah’s most senior terror architects. Tabataba’i joined Hezbollah in the 1980s and rose through the ranks to command the elite Radwan Force, oversee Hezbollah’s expansion into Syria, and later manage nearly the entire military infrastructure of the organization.
During the war, Tabataba’i became the central figure responsible for force build-up, planning, and operational coordination—effectively acting as Hezbollah’s primary strategist after Israel neutralized much of the group’s senior leadership in Operation Northern Arrows.
His removal represents a major blow to Hezbollah at a time when tensions remain high despite a U.S.- and French-brokered ceasefire. Israel insists Lebanon has disastrously failed to fulfill its obligation to disarm Hezbollah—an organization the United States formally designates as a terrorist group.
While Jerusalem continues striking Hezbollah positions to prevent the terror militia from rebuilding, Lebanon’s government announced a plan to disarm Hezbollah by 2025—a move swiftly rejected by Hezbollah’s deputy leader Naim Qassem, who declared the group would never surrender its arsenal. His defiance once again highlights the reality Israel has warned about for decades:
Lebanon does not control Lebanese territory—Iran’s proxies do.
As Israel methodically dismantles Hezbollah’s terror leadership, Trump’s White House signals unwavering support for Israel’s right to eliminate threats from Iran-backed militias determined to destabilize the region.
