TEHRAN: Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei has pledged continued support for resistance movements against the US and Israel in a message written to Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem, according to Iranian State Media Press TV. The message, according to Press TV, reaffirmed that the Islamic Republic’s policy remains rooted in “ongoing support for the resistance against the Zionist and American adversary”, Hezbollah said, citing the message forwarded by Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei to Sheikh Qassem.
Khamenei noted that the policy follows the path laid by the late Iranian leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and Hezbollah’s former chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. He emphasised that “standing firm and steadfast in the face of the fiercest enemies of the Islamic Ummah (Nation), namely the United States and the Zionist regime, was among the most outstanding characteristics of the martyred Imam,” referring to his predecessor.
The Iranian leader also highlighted the continuation of the resistance path over the years, citing figures such as Qassem Soleimani, Iran’s former top anti-terror commander, along with other members of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps. Khamenei further described figures such as Nasrallah and Seyyed Hashem Safieddine, the late head of Hezbollah’s Executive Council, as “true examples of this steadfast path.”
According to Press TV, he also expressed appreciation for Qassem’s message of condolence following the death of the former Iranian leader, and acknowledged the support expressed by Hezbollah fighters towards Iran. According to Press TV, calling the current moment “sensitive” for the resistance, Khamenei said Hezbollah’s chief “bears the responsibility of leading the movement.”
“[We] trust in his wisdom, intelligence, and courage to thwart the plots of the Zionist enemy, bring about its destruction, and restore honour and prosperity to the people of Lebanon,” he added, as quoted by Press TV. Meanwhile, praising the “enormous accomplishments” achieved in the conflict with Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the combined Israel-US effort was “systematically crushing” the Tehran government while eliminating existential hazards to the Jewish state.
Addressing the public in Hebrew on Tuesday evening before the Passover festival, Netanyahu emphasised that “sooner or later” the Iranian administration will collapse. He noted that Israel is simultaneously forging “new alliances with important countries in the region” to counter the collective threat posed by Iran.
While the Prime Minister did not name specific nations, he remarked that he hoped “soon, I will be able to tell you more about these vital alliances”. Earlier, the IDF confirmed on Tuesday that four IDF soldiers died while fighting in Southern Lebanon, Jerusalem Post reported. The military shared the names of three of the soldiers, Captain Noam Madmoni, Staff Sergeant Ben Cohen, and Staff Sergeant Maxsim Entis, while the fourth soldier’s name is still under wraps, as per the Jerusalem Post.
During the incident, two additional soldiers were wounded, one in serious condition and the other with moderate wounds. The families of all affected soldiers have been notified, the military said. Nine IDF soldiers have been killed fighting in Lebanon since the beginning of Operation Roaring Lion on February 28, as per the Jerusalem Post.
