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.



Algeria Threatens France with ‘Additional Measures’ Over Sahara Position

The Algerian and French presidents in August 2022 (Algerian presidency)
The Algerian and French presidents in August 2022 (Algerian presidency)
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Algeria Threatens France with ‘Additional Measures’ Over Sahara Position

The Algerian and French presidents in August 2022 (Algerian presidency)
The Algerian and French presidents in August 2022 (Algerian presidency)

Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf has announced that his country will take additional measures against France, in response to Paris’ position in support of Morocco’s plan for autonomy in the Sahara.

During a press conference in Algiers, attended by AFP, Attaf said: “We will take the necessary steps to express our rejection of France taking such a step, which is dangerous for the region.”

He added that Algeria’s decision to recall its ambassador from Paris for consultations was only a first step that will be followed by additional protest measures.

According to the Algerian minister, French President Emmanuel Macron had informed his Algerian counterpart, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, on the sidelines of the G7 summit, in June in Italy, of the decision that Paris intends to take.

Attaf stressed that the Algerian president’s response to his French counterpart was “strict, resolute and precise,” warning that such a step will not contribute to reviving the political track.

His position comes after Macron confirmed that the Moroccan proposal “constitutes, from now on, the only basis for reaching a just, sustainable, and negotiated political solution, in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions.”

Tebboune was scheduled to visit France in September, but Attaf hinted that this visit may not take place due to Macron’s position.

The Moroccan authorities proposed an autonomy plan for the Sahara under its sovereignty. However, the Polisario Front, supported by Algeria, has been demanding sovereignty over it since the Spanish occupation left the region in 1975, and is demanding a self-determination referendum under the auspices of the United Nations.

Meanwhile, Morocco’s King Mohammed VI invited the French president to an official visit to the country, after Paris announced its stance in support of the country’s sovereignty over the disputed Sahara region.

“I fully appreciate your country’s clear support for Morocco’s sovereignty over this part of its territory, the resolute French support for autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty to settle this regional dispute, thereby establishing the plan proposed by Morocco, since 2007, as the only basis for achieving it,” the monarch said in his letter.

He continued: “In this context, and thanks to the positive momentum that our bilateral relations are experiencing, promising prospects are opening up for our two countries in many strategic sectors, making it possible to strengthen the exceptional partnership built over decades on friendship and trust.”