Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah gave a speech on Friday to commemorate the death of party militant Mustafa Badreddine and to give his perspective on the latest local and regional developments.
Nasrallah addressed the topic of the Lebanese presidential dossier, insisting that Sleiman Frangieh’s candidacy is no coincidence. “Former Minister Sleiman Frangieh is not a random candidate for us, but a natural and serious candidate,” he stated. “The doors are still open for discussion and consensus on the issue of the presidency. We are not imposing a candidate on anyone; let each party nominate the name they want and let’s go to the Parliament to elect a president,” he said, as if his party was not responsible for the political deadlock.
“We believe that the Lebanese Parliament can proceed with legislation as usual, and not just emergency legislation,” he explained, even though the Chamber of Representatives is constitutionally bound to operate as an electoral college since last September.
“The caretaker government should also continue to operate within the boundaries of the Constitution despite all the difficulties and is commendable for doing so,” he said, taunting his former ally and leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, Gebran Bassil, who is vehemently opposed to the holding of Cabinet sessions during the presidential vacuum.
Moreover, Nasrallah pointed out that he was not in favor of “appointing a Governor for the Central Bank, nor of extending Riad Salameh’s mandate. Everyone should assume their responsibilities and not shirk them,” he stated.
Moving on to the regional part of his speech, Hezbollah’s leader pointed out that “Lebanon has no permanent enemies and must benefit from the positive climate in the region,” clearly alluding to the Saudi-Iranian rapprochement.
Broaching the topic of Syria’s return to the Arab League, Nasrallah highlighted that “inviting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to the Arab League is a very important step, as Syria has remained steadfast in its stance and strategy.” He added, “The Lebanese government must normalize relations with Syria, as it is in the interest of Lebanon.”
Regarding the issue of Syrian refugees, Nasrallah asserted that addressing this issue “involves assembling a ministerial-security delegation to visit Damascus,” adding that “a sovereign decision must be made without succumbing to external pressures.” He then justified that “Hezbollah does not prevent anyone from returning to the Syrian border villages,” indicating that “all the propaganda surrounding this topic is a big lie.”
Nasrallah also insisted on denying the accusations about Hezbollah trading Captagon, claiming “they are false and represent betrayal and lack of morals,” even though several docuseries and internationally-led investigations have proven the contrary over the years and have led to the deterioration of relations between Lebanon and the Gulf countries.
Addressing recent incidents in Gaza, Nasrallah blamed the United States for blocking the UN Security Council from issuing a condemnation of Israel’s killing of women and children in the occupied territories. He argued that “the aggression on Gaza, initiated by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was aimed at assassinating leaders of the Jerusalem Brigades.” He even suggested that Netanyahu’s motives “were to regain deterrence, avoid internal division, address the fragmentation of his government coalition, and enhance his political and electoral status,” estimating that Netanyahu’s calculations failed.
Furthermore, Nasrallah commented on the Israeli occupation’s efforts to undermine the leadership structure of the Jerusalem Brigades and destroy its missile power by dismantling its direct leadership. He warned, “Any assassination in the future will not pass without a broad confrontation. This result, so far, is due to the unity among the Palestinian factions.”
He also applauded the factions for their cooperation and wise management of the attack, noting that the effects of the Gaza attack are not limited to the sector but extend to the entire region. “Hezbollah was in constant contact with the faction leaders, monitoring the situation and assisting to a certain degree. Should the leadership require us to take any step, we will not hesitate,” he declared.
