Lashing out after the death of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and civilians in strikes on Lebanon’s Beirut, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said the savage nature of the “rabid Zionist regime” has been revealed. Mr Khamenei’s statement came on Saturday, amid reports that he had been moved to a secure location after Nasrallah’s killing and at a time when the world’s eyes are on Iran to see what steps it takes after the attacks on one of its closest allies.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Iranian Supreme Leader, called Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza a “criminal” one. He urged all Muslims to stand with Hezbollah and the people of Lebanon, who are suffering under Israeli occupation. Khamenei said that the Israeli aggression against the people of Gaza is a war crime and that Muslims everywhere should condemn it. He called on all Muslims to come to the aid of the people of Gaza and to support the resistance movement against Israeli occupation.
“The massacre of defenceless people in Lebanon has once again revealed the savage nature of the rabid Zionist regime, and at the same time, it has proven the short-sightedness and foolish policies of the heads of the usurping regime. The terror group ruling the Zionist regime has failed to learn a lesson from its year-long criminal war in Gaza. They have not understood that the mass killing of women, children, and civilians cannot weaken or dismantle the strong structure of the resistance organisation,” Mr Khamenei said in a statement, which did not mention what were, until then, Israel’s claims of killing the Hezbollah chief.
Accusing the Israeli government of testing the “same foolish policies” in Lebanon, Mr Khamenei said it is “too insignificant” to inflict any significant damage to Hezbollah’s foundation in Lebanon.
“All the resistance forces in the region stand beside and support Hezbollah. The destiny of this region will be shaped by the forces of resistance, with the proud Hezbollah at the forefront. The people of Lebanon have not forgotten the days when the military of the usurping regime marched to Beirut. It was Hezbollah that cut off their advance and brought dignity and pride to Lebanon. Today, with God’s strength, Lebanon will again force the vile, malevolent enemy to regret its actions,” he said.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Iranian Supreme Leader, called on all Muslims to stand with Lebanon and Hezbollah. He said that Muslims everywhere should condemn Israel’s aggression against the people of Gaza as a war crime. He urged all Muslims to come to the aid of the people of Gaza and to support the resistance movement against Israeli occupation.
Reuters reported that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been moved to a secure location following the death of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah. Sources told the agency that Iran is in touch with Hezbollah and other groups in the region to assess what the country’s next steps can be.
Israel has, over the past few days, shifted the focus of its operation from Gaza to Lebanon and its heavy bombing has killed more than 700 people and displaced over 1 lakh. Its operations have continued despite growing international calls for a ceasefire, including from the US.
On Saturday, Israel’s army chief, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, gave a clear message to those who threaten the citizens of Israel: they will be dealt with. He also warned that Israel will not tolerate any acts of aggression by its enemies.
