E-Paper
Iran supreme leader's first reaction after Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah killed: ‘Far too weak to…’
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei condemned what he described as Israel's "short-sighted" policy.
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday condemned what he described as Israel’s “short-sighted” and “stupid” policy following Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
In his first public reaction to the incident, Khamenei refrained from directly confirming Nasrallah’s death, instead focusing on Israel’s actions in Lebanon and the impact on the region's resistance movements.
"The massacre of defenceless people in Lebanon once again revealed the ferocity of the Zionist rabid dog to everyone," Khamenei said in a statement Saturday. "It has also proven the short-sighted and stupid policy of the leaders of the usurping regime."
Also Read | Israel takes on Iran by neutralising Hassan Nasrallah
Khamenei’s remarks came in the wake of an Israeli military announcement claiming it had killed Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s powerful and long-standing leader, in a precision airstrike in southern Beirut. The group later confirmed Nasrallah’s death, vowing to continue its battle against Israel.
In a series of posts on X, Khamenei expressed his staunch support for Hezbollah.
"On the one hand, the killing of defenceless civilians in Lebanon has once again revealed the savage nature of the rabid Zionists to everyone," Khamenei wrote. "On the other hand, it has proven how shortsighted and insane the policies of the leaders of the occupying regime are."
Khamenei vowed that the group would emerge stronger in the face of Israeli aggression. "The Zionist criminals need to know that they are far too weak to inflict any significant damage on the solid structure of Lebanon’s Hezbollah," he said, adding that "all the Resistance forces in the region stand with and support Hezbollah."
Meanwhile, the Israeli military has begun mobilising additional reserve forces, including three battalions of soldiers, as tensions with Lebanon continue to escalate.
Also Read | How Israel carried out Op 'New Order' to ‘kill’ Hezbollah chief in Lebanon: New video out
Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an Israeli army spokesperson, said that while Israel has inflicted heavy damage on Hezbollah’s military infrastructure, much of its arsenal, including guided missiles, remains intact.
"The threat has not gone away," Shoshani warned, adding that Israel is on "high readiness" for a potential Hezbollah retaliation.
