WANA (Jun 19) – Sheikh Naim Qassem, Secretary-General of Hezbollah, issued a statement declaring unwavering support for Iran and condemning the United States, Israel, and what he called “arrogant powers.”

 

“We are not neutral when it comes to Iran’s legitimate rights versus the falsehood, aggression, and the cancerous tumor of Israel and other global oppressors,” Qassem said. “We stand firmly with Iran.”

 

The statement emphasized Hezbollah’s alignment with the Iranian leadership and people, vowing to take “appropriate action” in response to what he described as the “savage American-Zionist aggression.”

 

Qassem referred to the Islamic Republic of Iran as a “shining beacon” for the oppressed worldwide, asserting that powers such as the United States cannot tolerate what he called “this humanitarian model and pioneer among the world’s free nations.”

 

He further stated that “the tyrannical America and the criminal Israel cannot force the Iranian people into submission.”

 

Reiterating Iran’s right to develop a peaceful nuclear program, Qassem said, “Iran’s nuclear activities are for peaceful purposes and aimed at serving its people. This is a right granted under international law.”

 

In a notable remark, Qassem pointed to what he described as a significant shift in the regional power dynamic: “The past days have revealed the weakness, aggression, and deep losses suffered by the Zionist regime — which, for the first time in 77 years of occupation in Palestine, has made a serious appeal to the United States for help in its confrontation with Iran.”

A view of the aftermath of Iran’s TV broadcaster building that was targeted in Tehran, Iran, June 19, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)