Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Wednesday described Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil’s stance on the latest U.S. sanctions as “brave,” as he warned Israel against waging “any aggression.”
“Minister Bassil’s stance is brave and patriotic” and he has “proven his credibility, freedom and independence,” said Nasrallah in a televised address marking Hizbullah’s Martyr Day.
Noting that Bassil had told him that he had preferred to be hit with U.S. sanctions over bowing to a U.S. demand that he break his ties with Hizbullah, Nasrallah said: “I told Minister Bassil that we did not wish him any harm and asked him to take the stance he saw appropriate.”
“The response to the U.S. sanctions should be improving the relation between Hizbullah and the FPM for the sake of the country’s interest,” Nasrallah added.
As for the delay in the cabinet formation process, Hizbullah’s leader said the discussions need “further consultations” between President Michel Aoun and PM-designate Saad Hariri, hoping the talks will be “expedited.”
Separately, Nasrallah revealed that Hizbullah had been on alert during a major Israeli military drill simulating a conflict on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon and Syria.
“Some of the resistance’s units had been on alert over the past days during the Israeli military drill and we meant to let Israel know this,” Nasrallah said.
“If the Israelis think of waging any aggression, our response will be very fast,” he warned.
And in his first comments on the sea border demarcation talks between Lebanon and Israel, Nasrallah stressed that claims that the negotiations will lead to a peace agreement or normalization with Israel are baseless.
He said such objectives are “out of the question for Hizbullah and Amal,” refuting accusations in this regard.
“We have full confidence in President Aoun’s management of this file and we know his high keenness on recovering Lebanon’s rights,” Nasrallah said.
“We in the resistance do not interfere in the issue of the demarcation of land or sea border and we have said that this is the state’s responsibility,” he added.
“The state decides where the border is and the resistance abides by what the state says,” the secretary-general went on to say.
He however noted that the negotiating Lebanese delegation “must know that it is in a position of strength, not a position of weakness.”
“Like we need to draw up the maritime border to benefit from oil and gas in our regional waters, so does the enemy,” Nasrallah added.
“He who wants to prevent us from benefiting from oil and gas knows that we too can prevent him from doing so,” he said.
- 8 hours ago
Nasrallah: The discussions over the government need further consultations between the president and the PM-designate and we hope they will be expedited.
- 8 hours ago
Nasrallah: The response to the U.S. sanctions should be improving the relation between Hizbullah and the FPM.
- 8 hours ago
Nasrallah: Minister Bassil’s stance was brave.
- 8 hours ago
Nasrallah on U.S. sanctions on Bassil: I told Minister Bassil that we did not wish him any harm and asked him to take the stance he sees appropriate.
- 8 hours ago
Nasrallah: The Americans have sought to turn the Lebanese people, especially the Shiite community, against Hizbullah.
- 9 hours ago
Nasrallah: Over the past 15 years, the Americans have explored ways to get rid of Hizbullah.
- 9 hours ago
Nasrallah on last two months during Trump’s tenure: I call on everyone in the axis of resistance to be cautious.
- 9 hours ago
Nasrallah on replacement of U.S. defense secretary: Trump might do anything during these two months.
- 9 hours ago
Nasrallah: We have rejoiced over Trump’s loss due to his crimes.
- 9 hours ago
Nasrallah: Trump’s administration was among the worst U.S. administrations.
- 9 hours ago
Nasrallah: Biden’s election will not alter the U.S. support for Israel.
- 9 hours ago
Nasrallah: Israel also needs the oil and gas, and if it sought to prevent us from extracting our resources, we also can prevent it.
- 9 hours ago
Nasrallah: The negotiating Lebanese delegation must know that it is in a position of strength, not a position of weakness.
- 9 hours ago
Nasrallah: If the Israelis think of waging any aggression, our response will be very fast.
- 9 hours ago
Nasrallah: Some of the resistance’s units had been on alert over the past days during the Israeli military drill and we meant to let Israel know this.
- 9 hours ago
Nasrallah: The state decides where the border is and the resistance abides by what the state says.
- 9 hours ago
Nasrallah: We in the resistance do not interfere in the issue of the demarcation of land or sea border and we have said that this is the state’s responsibility.
- 9 hours ago
Nasrallah on border talks: We have full confidence in President Aoun’s management of this file and we know his high keenness on recovering Lebanon’s rights.
- 9 hours ago
Nasrallah: Claims that the border talks will lead to a peace agreement or normalization with Israel are baseless and out of the question for Hizbullah and Amal.