Hezbollah chief lauds Gen. Soleimani as ‘great leader’ in fight against Daesh, Israel

The secretary general of Lebanon’s Hezbollah resistance movement has lauded sacrifices made by Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, saying the iconic commander was a “great leader” who defeated the Daesh terrorist group and stopped Israel from further occupation.

Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah made the remarks in a televised speech from Dahiyeh in the south of the Lebanese capital of Beirut on Tuesday during a ceremony in commemoration of the third anniversary of General Soleimani’s martyrdom in a US drone attack in Iraq as well as the latest developments in Lebanon and the whole region.

Speaking at the ceremony titled ‘Soleimani International Award for Resistance Literature,” Nasrallah said the top commander surpasses both time and place, and belongs not only to Iran but to all nations.

“Martyr Soleimani is a martyr...that transcends time and place. He is not a martyr of Iraq, Iran or Syria, but rather a martyr of the entire world. He was a great leader during the battle with Daesh and pushed back Israelis way beyond their walls,” Nasrallah said.

“Soleimani was a prominent, sublime, and key leader in the battle that barred the Americans from occupying our region,” the Hezbollah leader added. “He was the liaison of communication within the Axis of Resistance and a great leader in defeating the ‘Greater Israel’ scheme.”

Nasrallah said General Soleimani’s most important characteristic was his “moral strength and unparalleled courage” that inspired all those who worked with him.

The Hezbollah chief said General Soleimani had a great potential to impress the future generations, and that it is our duty to remember and present the personalities of martyrs like him.

“In every generation, we need models such as these martyrs, who are present in every battlefield, and whose names must be revived as they represent a massive intellectual and spiritual wealth that we must not underestimate. We must do this for ourselves and not for their sake alone,” Nasrallah noted.

‘No bloc wants presidential vacuum to continue’

Pointing to the presidential vacuum in Lebanon, Nasrallah highlighted outside and inside pressure for the election of a head of state.

“Everyone wants to end the presidential vacuum so that the government can be formed and things can return to their normal course,” Nasrallah said. “The point is that there are multiple parliamentary blocs and no one has a majority.”

“It is the natural right of any bloc to say that it does not want a president close to Hezbollah,” he added. “No bloc wants the presidential vacuum to continue.”

US blocking Iranian energy offers in Lebanon

Pointing to the energy crisis in Lebanon, Nasrallah said, “Everyone in Lebanon is experiencing the problem of electricity and fuel that goes beyond sects and factions, and its effects extend to the economy and people's natural life.”

“Months ago, we were told to secure fuel from Iran for 6 months, to raise the hours of electricity supply to 8 hours, and put Lebanon on the track of for a solution,” Nasrallah added.

“We took the initiative and contacted Iran, and they agreed to the Lebanese request for fuel. The offer of Iranian fuel to Lebanon is still valid but the Americans are the ones preventing its implementation,” he said.

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