Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has described Iran as the “strong fortress of resistance” against oppressors, saying the Islamic establishment serves as a role model.
Nasrallah addressed via video link from Beirut a ceremony in Tehran Thursday to mark the 40th day since the passing of President Ebrahim Raeisi in a helicopter crash, hailing the country for taking the upheaval in its stride with fortitude and composure.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran emerged proudly and admirably from this tragic incident and presented an advanced and lofty model that is strong in facing all challenges,” he said.
Nasrallah said the incident, in which President Raeisi lost his life along with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and six others in mountainous terrain in northwest Iran, was “very painful and historic” which left Iran faced with a threat.
“However, the rule is that we must turn threats into opportunities, as always emphasized by Eminent Leader of the Revolution” Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, he said.
“We have faced similar big and dangerous incidents in recent years. As an example, we can point to the assassination of two dear commanders, Hajj Qassem Soleimani and Hajj Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, that was a huge damage and at the same time a threat,” he added.
Lieutenant General Soleimani, head of Iran’s Quds Force, and Abu Mahdi, an Iraqi commander of the Popular Mobilization Forces, were assassinated in a US airstrike ordered by then-president Donald Trump at Baghdad airport in January 2020.
“But this threat turned into an opportunity. These bloodsheds marked the breakout of the uprising and a new life for the resistance and the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran and all the resistance movements in the region,” Nasrallah said.
Iran responded to the assassination by launching a barrage of missiles at US bases in Iraq, causing brain concussion injuries among at least 110 American soldiers stationed there. Iranian officials have repeatedly vowed to take further steps and imposed sanctions on individuals taking part in the crime.
In April this year, Iran responded with its first-ever direct operation against Israel, launching over 300 missiles and attack drones from its territory at targets in the occupied territories, after an airstrike destroyed the consular section of Iran’s embassy in Damascus, killing 12 people.
The operation left Israel, still reeling from coordinated armed incursions from the Gaza Strip into the Gaza envelope of southern territories under Israeli occupation, further shell-shocked.
“All this was thanks to wise leadership [of Ayatollah Khamenei] and management and responsibility [of Iranian officials] in Iran and the region,” Nasrallah said.
The tragic loss of President Raeisi and his companions is “also an example, the outcome of which depends on our behavior”, the Hezbollah chief said.
“Thank God, the people of Iran became a model for the whole world through their direct presence and the way they dealt with the incident with general peace and stability,” he added.
Nasrallah said, “Enemies who were lying in wait and talking about riots happening here and there saw with their own eyes that despite all the difficult conditions it faced due to this incident, Iran was calm, stable, unified and united.”
He touched on millions of mourners who took to the streets in Iranian cities to pay their respects to the president and his companions and take part in their funeral processions, saying their huge presence carried a strong message for both friends and foes.
“The friends who were worried when they saw the presence of millions gained confidence and trust, and the enemies who were happy realized that they were facing a nation that was aware and present, that had great insight and loyalty. The funeral was an expression of this great and enormous loyalty.”
