Hizbullah Official Nawaf Moussawi: Nasrallah's Assassination And Pager Attack Were A Result Of Hizbullah's Negligence; This Would Not Have Happened On Imad Mughniyeh's Watch

In a March 3, 2025, interview on Mayadeen TV (Lebanon), Hizbullah official Nawaf Moussawi criticized the security measures that led to the assassination of Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah and the pager attack. He argued that these incidents were the result of Hizbullah's own shortcomings and negligence, rather than Israeli prowess. Moussawi pointed out that such an event would not have happened while military chief Imad Mughniyeh was still alive, recalling how Mughniyeh had ensured Nasrallah's safety during the 2006 war by constantly moving him, never allowing him to stay in the Dahia. Moussawi also criticized Nasrallah's personal security protocol, highlighting that while visitors were thoroughly checked for buttons and rings, no one had considered inspecting the pagers carried by Hizbullah members.

Nawaf Moussawi: "When that attack took place, it did not cross my mind for a second that Nasrallah was the target. You might want to ask why not."

Interviewer: "Right."

Moussawi: "I could not imagine – and I am still stunned by this – that Nasrallah was still in the Dahia. In 2006, Imad Mughniyeh was in charge of Nasrallah's security.

[...]

"Mughniyeh would move Nasrallah from one place to the other. I thought that Nasrallah was still being moved from one house to the other, and from one place to the other, so that he would not be detected.

[...]

"I know that he should not have been in any place where he could be detected, and the entire Dahiah was under the American-Israeli microscope.

[...]

"This definitely shocked me.

[...]

"What stunned me was... Why there?! He should not have been in the Dahia to begin with. There are many other places where people could meet.

[...]

"Some things on our part..."

Interviewer: "Are still inexplicable."

Moussawi: "I see it as a case of inadequacy or...This is why I always thought that the disappearance of characters like the historical cadres of the resistance came with a price."

Interviewer: "People like Imad Mughniyeh..."

Moussawi: "[His absence] was costly. I assume that if Imad Mughniyeh or Mustafa Badreddine were alive, [Nasrallah] would not have been there. I'm not revealing any secrets here."

[...]

Interviewer: "Is there an inquest in Hizbullah about what happened?"

Moussawi: "Yes, about everything."

Interviewer: "Are there any conclusions so far, or are things still under investigation?"

Moussawi: "Some things seem clear. With some things, you don't even need to ask. The annoying thing is that the Israelis believe that they did something great, but take it from me – all of Israel's achievements against us had nothing to do with being smart. They keep bragging about these things..."

Interviewer: "They resulted from security loopholes?"

Moussawi: "From shortcomings on our part and, in some cases, negligence."

Interviewer: "These are very bold statements..."

Moussawi: "Like in the case of the pager attack... If I get a wristwatch as a present, I send it to be checked by our preventive security unit, even if it means that they would have to take it apart. When I would go to meet Nasrallah, they would check my rings, the buttons on my shirt, and so on. But if I come with a pager, they don't open it?!

[...]

"No matter who bought [the pagers], why weren't they checked? Why were they not opened? I am saying this because Hizbullah used to be a role model for resistance groups across the world – from Latin America to Afghanistan, everywhere in Europe, and so on. Hizbullah is the top. So the fact that Hizbullah was hit like that does not mean that these were Israeli achievements. It was shortcomings and negligence on our part."