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.



Top US Officials in Damascus to Meet New Syrian Rulers, State Department Says

Abu Mohammed al-Jolani speaks at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus Sunday Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Abu Mohammed al-Jolani speaks at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus Sunday Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
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Top US Officials in Damascus to Meet New Syrian Rulers, State Department Says

Abu Mohammed al-Jolani speaks at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus Sunday Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Abu Mohammed al-Jolani speaks at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus Sunday Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)

Top diplomats from the Biden administration are in Damascus on Friday to meet new Syrian authorities led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a State Department spokesperson said, the first in-person and official meeting between Washington and Syria's de-facto new rulers.
The State Department's top Middle East diplomat Barbara Leaf, Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens and newly appointed Senior Advisor Daniel Rubinstein, who is now tasked with leading the Department's Syria engagement, are the first US diplomats to travel to Damascus since Syria's opposition militias overthrew oppressive President Bashar al-Assad, Reuters reported.
The visit comes as Western governments are gradually opening channels to HTS and its leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, and start debating whether or not to remove the terrorist designation on the group. The US delegation's travel follows contacts with France and Britain in recent days.
In their meetings, the US officials will discuss with HTS representatives a set of principles such as inclusivity and respect for the rights of minorities that Washington wants included in Syria's political transition, the spokesperson said.
The delegation will also work to obtain new information about US journalist Austin Tice, who was taken captive during a reporting trip to Syria in August 2012, and other American citizens who went missing during the Assad regime.
"They will be engaging directly with the Syrian people, including members of civil society, activists, members of different communities, and other Syrian voices about their vision for the future of their country and how the United States can help support them," the department spokesperson said.
"They also plan to meet with representatives of HTS to discuss transition principles endorsed by the United States and regional partners in Aqaba, Jordan," the spokesperson said.
The United States cut diplomatic ties with Syria and shut down its embassy in Damascus in 2012.
In a seismic moment for the Middle East, Syrian opposition factions seized control of Damascus on Dec. 8, forcing Assad to flee after more than 13 years of civil war, ending his family's decades-long rule.
The lightning offensive raised questions over whether the opposition will be able to ensure an orderly transition.
Forces under the command of al-Sharaa - better known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani - replaced the Assad family rule with a three-month transitional government that had been ruling an opposition enclave in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib.
US President Joe Biden and his top aides described the overthrow of Assad as a historic opportunity for the Syrian people who have for decades lived under his oppressive rule, but also warned the country faced a period of risk and uncertainty.
Washington remains concerned that extremist group ISIS could seize the moment to resurrect and also wants to avoid any clashes in the country's northeast between Türkiye-backed opposition factions and US-allied Kurdish militia.