Beirut, Lebanon – Lebanese militant group Hezbollah on Wednesday hailed what it called its ally Iran’s victory over Israel after 12 days of war, declaring it the start of a “new historical phase”.
The victory, it said, was “manifested in the precise and painful strikes it launched” against Israel, as well as “the lightning response to the American aggression against its nuclear facilities”.
On Sunday, the United States struck Iranian nuclear facilities following days of Israeli strikes, but a classified intelligence report concluded the attacks had only set back Tehran’s nuclear programme by a few months.
“This is nothing but the beginning of a new historical phase in confronting American hegemony and Zionist arrogance in the region,” Hezbollah said.
Hezbollah, which fought a devastating war against Israel last year, expressed its “firm and unwavering support for the Islamic republic, its leadership and people,” emphasising that “any surrender, subservience or concession will only increase our enemies’ arrogance and dominance over our region”.
Israel launched a major bombardment of Iranian nuclear and military facilities on June 13, as well as targeted attacks on top scientists and commanders.
The Israeli strikes killed at least 627 civilians and wounded more than 4,800, according to the Iranian health ministry.
Iran’s retaliatory attacks on Israel have killed 28 people, according to Israeli figures.
Later Wednesday, hundreds of people rallied outside the Iranian embassy in Beirut, responding to a call from Hezbollah to celebrate “the culmination of the struggle and sacrifices” of the Iranian people “who triumphed over the Israeli-American aggression”.
Ahmed Mohebbi, 42, who was among the crowd, said: “We are very happy about this victory that Iran achieved, despite the hits it took and attacks by America and Israel to prevent it from continuing its nuclear programme.
“Our steadfastness is a victory,” he told AFP.
The head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc Mohammed Raad said in a speech that Iran was “a regional deterrent force, like it or not.”
“It proved this with its steadfastness” and by standing up against “a tyrannical enemy who sought to impose its hegemony on the whole region,” he said.
Iran has backed Hezbollah since the group’s founding in the 1980s, providing it with financial and military support.
The group was severely weakened in its latest confrontation with Israel, which killed most of its top leadership and destroyed much of its arsenal.
