Hezbollah's Sheikh Qassem Denounces Israeli Criminal Aggression, Backs Iran's Right to Respond
In a strongly worded statement issued Saturday, Hezbollah's Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem denounced the 'criminal Israeli assault' on the Islamic Republic of Iran, affirming Washington is backing the attack.
'We vehemently condemn the Israeli aggression against Iran, fully supported by the US administration. This is a deliberate attempt to silence a voice that has consistently supported the Palestinian people in Gaza, the cause of Palestine and Jerusalem, and the resistance movements in Lebanon and the region.'
Sheikh Qassem warned the strike would not go unanswered and asserted significant repercussions for regional stability.
'This aggression will have major consequences—it will not pass without retaliation and accountability. Iran remains a beacon of dignity and resistance and will continue to be a leading force in defending the oppressed across the region and the world.'
His Eminence dismissed the notion that Israeli or US actions could alter Iran's strategic direction or influence its crucial role.
'Neither the Israeli enemy nor the United States will succeed in undermining the Islamic Republic's resolve or position. On the contrary, Iran will emerge stronger, and Israel will come to regret its brutality and recklessness,' Sheikh Qassem added.
Hezbollah's Sheikh Qassem also offered condolences to Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei and the Iranian people over the reported martyrdom of senior military and scientific figures in the strike.
'We offer our condolences and congratulations to our leader and guardian, Imam Khamenei (may his shadow endure), and to the noble, steadfast Iranian people on the martyrdom of top commanders—Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, and Major General Hossein Salami, Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps—as well as their comrades and nuclear scientists. Their martyrdom will only reinforce Iran's strength and resolve.'
Sheikh Qassem also reaffirmed its alignment with Tehran and its right to defend itself.
'Hezbollah, within its Islamic resistance and people, stands firmly with the Islamic Republic of Iran—its rights, its positions, and whatever steps it chooses to take in defense of itself. The criminal Israeli regime and its tyrannical backer, the United States, will reap nothing but disgrace and defeat,' Sheikh Qassem concluded.
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