Today, on the fourth anniversary of Lebanon's liberation from terrorism, the Secretary-general of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, said that the liberation of Lebanon's eastern outskirts four years ago was part of the global war on Syria and a dangerous project in the region.

He said, "The victory we achieved did not come out of thin air but through sacrifices, patience, and steadfastness," continuing, "ISIS wanted to control all of Syria and Lebanon [...] and wanted to reach Palmyra and Qalamoun."

The Secretary-General gave background on how the so-called 'Islamic State' carried itself in the region. He contended that ISIS received support from the international and regional community - thousands of its militants have been imported into the region. He noted that former US President Donald Trump and other senior officials have repeatedly stated that ISIS is a creation of former US President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

According to Sayyed Nasrallah, the fight was not only a Lebanese battle, but also a Lebanese-Syrian one, and it took place on both sides of the two countries. He also stated that ISIS posed a persistent threat to Bekaa's fringes, Beirut, and the army, as seen by their recordings.

He indicated that the Lebanese state was unable to take the lead in fighting terrorists and defending towns and villages against ISIS - this situation was exacerbated by threats from the US embassy to cut off aid to the Lebanese army if they were to resist terrorism.  

He also stated that Lebanese President Michel Aoun did not give in to US pressure - when Hezbollah intervened in the battle, it was based on the calling and woes of the Lebanese who were suffering, both Muslims and Christians. 

Hezbollah's Secretary-General said that Hezbollah intervened in the battle when the Lebanese state relinquished its responsibility for liberating the land and defending its people. He claimed that the Resistance made numerous sacrifices in the battle to liberate the borders, and among the Resistance's fighters were many volunteers.

Iran deserves credit for Lebanon's success in the battle against terrorism

He also asserted that before the Lebanese army joined and fought shoulder-to-shoulder with the resistance, the battles to liberate the outskirts were arduous and costly. The liberation came as a consequence of sacrifices made by the Syrian and Lebanese armies and people from both sides over many years.

Sayyed Nasrallah stated that the success in the fight against terrorism, whether on the Lebanese or Syrian side, is owed to Iran, and that the battle to liberate the outskirts was a unique experience to the tripartite: the army, the people, and the Resistance.

Furthermore, he stated that this battle was fought for the purpose of protecting Lebanon, liberating the country, and confronting aggression and that the coalition was victorious because of the tripartite equation. He added that the Resistances' weapons, which some seek to disarm, is at the forefront of the golden equation's victory.

Syria is not the only target of Caesar's Act; Lebanon is as well

"People who deny that Lebanon is being besieged are those who deny the existence of ISIS or other terrorist groups," Nasrallah said, adding that Lebanon is being besieged by economic hurdles and by imposed US sanctions.

Sayyed Nasrallah stressed that the Caesar Act on Syria was not only meant to besiege Syria alone, but also Lebanon.

According to the Secretary-General, the majority of Lebanese, who wanted to invest in Syria, were stopped from doing so since any facilities that may revitalize the Lebanese economy — such as electricity — were prohibited from being established.

To a similar extent, according to Hezbollah's Secretary-General, if it weren't for the embargo and the US veto, Lebanon's electricity and gas industries would have been revived. He stressed that if the Lebanese people had spoken out against the US actions, Lebanon would have been spared from the sanctions.

We need more than 3 ships to face the next stage

In regard to the fuel ships sailing from Iran, Sayyed Nasrallah considered that if the US cares about Lebanese people, it should exempt Lebanon from sanctions and stop its threats.

"We agreed with the Iranians to start loading the third ship of oil derivatives," said Sayyed Nasrallah, adding that Lebanon needs more than 3 ships to face the forthcoming stage of the crisis.

He stressed the need to form the Lebanese government as soon as possible in order to start solving the current crises, saying that "Unfortunately, all the blood and pain in Lebanon could not lead the officials to complete the formation of the government."

In addition, Sayyed Nasrallah pointed out that the talks reported about linking the government’s formation to external events such as the Vienna talks are not accurate.

The method used to manage the Beirut Port explosion file is subjective

Sayyed Nasrallah also mentioned that the investigative measures taken towards the Beirut Port explosion are subjective and politicized.

He considered that the decision of the judicial investigator summoning the Lebanese Caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab is unconstitutional. 

The Secretary-General rejected the judicial investigator's procedure and called on the judicial authorities to intervene and act as dictated by the constitution.

On the commemoration of the kidnapping of Imam Musa al-Sadr and his two companions, Sayyed Nasrallah deemed the incident an aggression and an injustice to Lebanon, and that it targeted the resistance. He noted that Imam al-Sadr was seeking to preserve the blood of Lebanese people and to prevent sedition and the destruction of the country

He also considered that kidnapping al-Sadr targeted the resistance and the liberation of al-Quds, stressing that "We will complete the path of Imam al-Sadr and achieve his goals, as his name will remain strongly present in all our practices."

We are witnessing the US defeat in Afghanistan

Sayyed Nasrallah discussed the events happening in Afghanistan and the US withdrawal from the country, saying that the plan that has been prepared for the region is falling apart, declaring “What we are witnessing today in Afghanistan is a scenario of a complete American defeat, downfall and failure.”

He considered that the Afghanistan experience was a moral fall that was reflected in dealing with the fugitives at Kabul Airport, pointing out that US planes and helicopters transported ISIS leaders from Syria to Afghanistan.

Sayyed Nasrallah said that the US aimed to create startlement in all of Afghanistan’s neighboring countries. He stressed that ISIS is an American tool and affirmed that the recent events should be a lesson for all countries.

As for the Europeans, he noticed that the Europeans acknowledged that the US did not consult them in withdrawing from Afghanistan, warning that those who bet on the US should take lessons from the way it deals with its allies in Afghanistan.