Nasrallah: Khamenei Is Our Imam, Our Leader… No Place For Neutrality in Any War Against Iran

Hezbollah Leader Hassan Nasrallah (Reuters)
Hezbollah Leader Hassan Nasrallah (Reuters)
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Nasrallah: Khamenei Is Our Imam, Our Leader… No Place For Neutrality in Any War Against Iran

Hezbollah Leader Hassan Nasrallah (Reuters)
Hezbollah Leader Hassan Nasrallah (Reuters)

Hezbollah Leader Hassan Nasrallah warned that any war on Iran would ignite the entire region and lead to “the end of Israel.”

“This is our position as part of the axis of the resistance: we are not neutral and will not be,” he said.

In a speech in the southern suburbs of Beirut on the occasion of Ashura, Nasrallah described the US sanctions on Iran, Syria and the resistance movements in Palestine, Lebanon and Iraq as “unjust.”

“This supposed war will mark the end of Israel, the end of American hegemony and presence in our region,” he underlined.

Nasrallah went on to say: “From Lebanon, we tell the whole world that our imam, our leader, our master… is Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Husseini Khamenei… and that the Islamic Republic of Iran is the heart of the axis, its main center, its strongest supporter…”

He denounced the “sanctions on Lebanese banks”, which he said had “nothing to do with Hezbollah," referring to the Jamal Trust Bank, adding that the Lebanese State and government should “defend the Lebanese and their institutions.”

Commenting on the recent Israeli attacks, Nasrallah said: “The Lebanese have foiled Israel’s attempt to change the rules of engagement that have been in place since 2006.”

He also valued “the united Lebanese position in rejecting the Israeli aggression on Lebanon.”

On the economic file, Nasrallah noted that the situation was not hopeless, but needed a responsible approach and concerted efforts to fight corruption.



Israeli Settlers Set Fire to Mosque in West Bank in Latest Violent Attack on Palestinian Villages

Palestinians inspect the damage done to a mosque, after a reported attack by Israeli settlers, in the town of Marda near the West Bank city of Salfit on December 20, 2024. (AFP)
Palestinians inspect the damage done to a mosque, after a reported attack by Israeli settlers, in the town of Marda near the West Bank city of Salfit on December 20, 2024. (AFP)
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Israeli Settlers Set Fire to Mosque in West Bank in Latest Violent Attack on Palestinian Villages

Palestinians inspect the damage done to a mosque, after a reported attack by Israeli settlers, in the town of Marda near the West Bank city of Salfit on December 20, 2024. (AFP)
Palestinians inspect the damage done to a mosque, after a reported attack by Israeli settlers, in the town of Marda near the West Bank city of Salfit on December 20, 2024. (AFP)

Israeli settlers set fire to a mosque and vandalized property in the northern occupied West Bank on Friday, the head of the Palestinian village council said, as Israeli police pledged to investigate the episode.

The West Bank has seen a surge in violence by Jewish settlers during the war in Gaza, and rights groups say the Israeli army often turns a blind eye.

Nasfat al-Khafash, the head of the council in Marda where the attack occurred, said a group of settlers arrived early in the morning, setting the mosque on fire and scrawling hateful messages on it.

Associated Press video showed spray-painted stars of David and the words in Hebrew, “the mosque will burn, the temple will be built,” an apparent reference to the ultranationalist desire to establish a Third Temple for Jews in Jerusalem at the holiest and most contested site in the Holy Land.

“These slogans reflect their upbringing and hatred towards Palestinians and Arabs,” said al-Khafash, adding that the settlers received “full support” from the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — the furthest-right government in Israel’s history.

Israel’s police, military and Shin Bet internal security agency said they were investigating the episode. “We view the incident seriously and will act with determination to bring those responsible to justice,” they said in a statement.

The UN’s humanitarian office said settler attacks on Palestinian farmers during this fall's olive harvest season “at least tripled” in 2024 compared to the each of the last three years.

In the West Bank and east Jerusalem, more than 700,000 Jewish settlers have Israeli citizenship, while the 3 million Palestinians in the territory live under Israeli military law.