Hezbollah Stronger than Ever, Frontrunner of Battle against Israel: Nasrallah

Speaking in a televised speech on Tuesday as he addressed mourners commemorating Ashura, which marks the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein (AS), the third Shiite Imam and the grandson of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), Nasrallah warned the Tel Aviv regime of tough and crippling retaliatory strikes in case it dares launch an act of aggression against Lebanese territories.

“Hezbollah is at the forefront of the battle against the Zionist enemy,” Nasrallah said. “The resistance movement is stronger than ever; Israelis should not make the folly of testing the Lebanese nation’s resolve to protect its own natural resources.”

He also said Hezbollah is waiting for the Israeli response to the Lebanese government’s demands regarding the disputed maritime area in the Mediterranean Sea, which is rich in natural resources like gas and oil, emphasizing that his fellow fighter are nonetheless preparing for all possible scenarios.

“Lebanon and its people will no longer accept the looting of maritime wealth. We are ready to look at any possibility. The hand extended to plunder any of Lebanon’s natural wealth will be cut off as was the case when our lands were invaded,” Nasrallah noted.

He called for the swift formation of a competent Lebanese government, urging all political factions to join forces in order to overcome existing crises and resolve the sufferings of the nation.

“We look forward to powerful Lebanon, which is capable to defend its own sovereignty and wealth,” he said.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Nasrallah offered his heartfelt condolences over the death and injury of several Shiite Muslims at the hands of Nigerian troops, as they were taking part in a peaceful annual Ashura procession in the country’s northern city of Zaria.

He sympathized with Nigeria’s most senior Shiite cleric Sheikh Ibrahim al-Zakzaky, and prayed for the victims of the incident.

The Hezbollah leader also lashed out at Bahrain’s Al Khalifa regime over tightening crackdown on Shiite Muslims during Ashura commemorations.

“Among the most disgraceful regimes that have normalized ties with Israel is the oppressive Al Khalifa regime, which receives Zionists with open arms while at the same time attacking ceremonies marking Ashura,” Nasrallah stated.

The Hezbollah leader then voiced Lebanon’s support for the impoverished Yemenis, reiterating that it is Muslims’ duty to lend assistance to the oppressed nation.

He also maintained that Syria has emerged triumphant over the foreign-sponsored militancy but is still grappling with unilateral Western sanctions that have exacerbated economic and humanitarian crises in the country in recent years.

The Hezbollah leader lauded Palestinians and resistance fighters in the besieged Gaza Strip for their spirited resilience and steadfastness, emphasizing that they have managed to impose their equations on the Israeli regime.

Nasrallah also pointed to the political turmoil in Iraq, calling on all political figures in the Arab country to settle their disagreements in a bid to foil potential foreign conspiracies.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran, under the leadership of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, will remain the heart of the Axis of Resistance,” the Hezbollah secretary general said.

Nasrallah finally paid tribute to Iran’s top anti-terror commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, who was assassinated along with his Iraqi comrade Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the second-in-command of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), in a US drone strike authorized by former president Donald Trump near Baghdad International Airport on January 3, 2020.