Hezbollah chief hails Iran’s ‘great victory’ after memorandum of understanding with US

The secretary general of Lebanon's Hezbollah resistance movement has welcomed the recently concluded memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Iran and the United States, calling upon the Beirut government to seize the moment and expel Israeli occupation forces from southern Lebanon.

"We congratulate the Iranian people, the Resistance and the countries and peoples of the region and the world, who yearn for independence and freedom on this great victory,” Sheikh Naim Qassem said in a televised address broadcast from the Lebanese capital Beirut on Wednesday evening.

He hailed the strategic shifts in the balance of power, saying Iran has become “a significant power with a voice that carries weight in the region and the world."

The Hezbollah chief added that regional dynamics are moving “for the better and in the interests of the peoples of the region.”

He also praised Tehran’s role in supporting regional resistance movements, expressing gratitude to the Islamic Republic of Iran for its solidarity with Hezbollah and its preparedness for sacrifice, which forced the Israeli regime to halt its aggression.

Commenting on the recent US-Israeli war of aggression against Iran, Sheikh Qassem noted that the objective had been “the overthrow of the Iranian establishment” stressing that “the myth of American supremacy has been shattered and Washington’s colonial project against Iran has failed.

He urged the Lebanese government to “benefit from this pivotal point."

Turning to Lebanon, the Hezbollah leader reiterated that “the Resistance in Lebanon is confronting Israeli aggression,” describing the confrontation as existential in nature.

He said that since 1948, “Israel” has sought to weaken Lebanon in order “to occupy and swallow it,” emphasizing that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has “explicitly declared that he intends to create a ‘Greater Israel.’”

Sheikh Qassem stated that Israel’s strategic objective has been “to eliminate Hezbollah militarily, culturally, politically, and socially,” amounting to “the annihilation and execution of a large segment of the Lebanese society.”

He added that the broader aim is to facilitate Lebanon’s subjugation, stressing that the Hezbollah resistance movement is not fighting over territory but rather existence itself.

"We are not fighting for a piece of land. We are defending our existence, our lives, our land, our future, and our path," the Hezbollah leader said.

He described the Resistance as an extension of a liberation project, saying it “believes in liberation and works to achieve it,” and declared that the movement had already disrupted "Israel’s" objectives of killing, land seizure, settlement, and the so-called "Greater Israel" project.

Sheikh Qassem praised Hezbollah and its resistance fighters, saying they “paid a heavy price in confronting the most dangerous project directed against Lebanon."

He underscored that without such steadfastness, “Lebanon would have ceased to exist in a few years."

The Hezbollah leader stressed that any future deal with Israel must remain confined to mutual security guarantees, warning that any initiative presented under the banner of disarming his group would not succeed.

Sheikh Qassem said Hezbollah fighters carried out 3,185 operations during Operation al-Aqsa Flood and its extended fronts, averaging around 30 operations per day.

The resistance fighters targeted 518 Israeli military vehicles and 85 aircraft,  while a dozen 12 drones and as many quadcopters were intercepted and shot down. An Israeli helicopter was also detected and struck, he pointed out.

The Hezbollah secretary general called on Lebanese authorities to clearly separate national demands from internal political disputes, stressing that domestic arrangements should remain entirely outside the scope of negotiations.

He emphasized that any dialogue with Israel must be rooted in the principle of sovereignty, stressing that the Tel Aviv regime is an aggressor and therefore has no role in shaping how Lebanon defines or organizes its sovereignty.

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