Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei pledged continued support for the Lebanese terrorist organization Hezbollah during a meeting with the Iranian Students’ Islamic Association, The Jerusalem Post reported on Thursday.
“Hezbollah and its faithful youth are shining like the sun and are a source of honor for the Muslim world,” Khamenei said, according to Iranian media. The Islamic Republic’s leader also warned that the United States and the “Zionist regime” were targeting Iranian youth in a “soft war” in fields such as politics, economics, and culture.
“A reason why they would confront us in our attempt to achieve peaceful nuclear technology is this feature of the imperialist front,” Khamenei claimed. “[Should] Iran concede some ground, they will advance any further deny us further progress in biotechnology, nanotechnology and other strategic technologies.”
Khamenei’s remarks came in the wake of a communique published by the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation last week, which blasted Iran for its support of terrorism and continued meddling in its neighbors’ internal affairs.
The Post also reported that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned that Tehran would “show serious reaction” if his country’s economy continued to lag despite the nuclear deal.
There was huge propaganda against youths fighting in #Lebanon and #Palestine. yet #Hezbollah showed its strong structure to world of Islam.
— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) April 20, 2016
#Hezbollah is a shining sun. Now a futile, dependent Govt. condemns Hezbollah in a statement made by petrodollars! It doesn't matter! #OIC
— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) April 20, 2016
#Hezbollah is an honor for world of #Islam. Now does it matter if a worthless piece of paper condemns Hezbollah? #OIC
— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) April 20, 2016
During a meeting with Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in August, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif boasted that the nuclear deal presented “a historic opportunity” to confront Israel. Before the deal was completed, former Iranian president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, an ally of current president Hassan Rouhani, said that Israel feared the agreement because it would strengthen Iran. He added that one day Israel would be “wiped off the map.”
An Israeli defense official told The New York Times last May that the buildup of Hezbollah’s terror infrastructure in southern Lebanese villages meant that “civilians are living in a military compound,” and that their lives were at risk. A few days later, a newspaper linked to Hezbollah confirmed the Israeli assessment.
[Photo: Khamenei.ir webiste]