WANA (May 13) – Sheikh Naim Qassem, Secretary-General of Hezbollah, said Iran’s “courageous confrontation” with pressure and threats from the United States and Israel would lead to a “major victory in a new phase for the region and the world.”

 

In a message addressed to Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, Qassem thanked Iran’s religious institutions and people for their continued support of Hezbollah and what he described as the “resistance” movement in Lebanon.

 

The Hezbollah leader said Lebanon continues to face what he called an “Israeli enemy” pursuing expansionism and occupation with direct American backing and under what he described as international silence.

 

Qassem referred to previous confrontations between Hezbollah and Israel, including Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000 and the 33-day war in 2006, presenting them as examples of Israel’s failure to achieve its objectives.

 

He also referred to the latest round of hostilities and the attacks of 2024, which, according to him, resulted in the killing of Hassan Nasrallah and several Hezbollah commanders.

 

In another part of his message, Qassem praised Iran’s support for Hezbollah since the group’s establishment in 1982, saying backing from the Islamic Republic — particularly through the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its Quds Force — played a key role in strengthening Lebanon’s resistance movement.

 

He also described the US-Israeli actions against Iran as an attempt to weaken what he called the “axis of resistance,” adding that “the courageous stance of the Iranian people, its armed forces, and its leadership under Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei will, God willing, lead to a great victory that opens a new chapter for the region and the world.”

 

Qassem concluded by expressing hope for the success of Iran and resistance groups across the region and called for an end to the suffering of the Palestinian people.