Hizbullah Sec.-Gen. Hassan Nasrallah Threatens Israeli Ammonia Storage Facility – A Missile Strike On The Ammonia Tanks In Haifa Would Have The Impact Of A Nuclear Bomb (Archival)

In a February 16 2016, speech, aired on Al-Manar TV, Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah threatened the Israeli ammonia storage facilities in Haifa. He quoted an Israeli expert, saying that a missile attack on the ammonia tanks would have the impact of a nuclear bomb. Nasrallah said that this means that Lebanon has a nuclear bomb, "this is no exaggeration." He added that such an attack on the Haifa ammonia facilities would potentially cause tens of thousands of deaths. On February 16, 2017, Nasrallah said in a speech, aired on Mayadeen TV that Israel had decided to remove the ammonia tanks from Haifa due to Hizbullah's threats. He claimed that the people of Haifa had to thank Hizbullah for this. Nassrallah added that even after the storage facility would be removed from Haifa, Hizbullah would still be able to reach the ammonia facility in its new location as well as the Dimona nuclear plant. Nasrallah said that while an attack on the ammonia storage tanks would be the equivalent of a nuclear attack, an attack on a ship supplying ammonia to Israel would be like five nuclear bombs.

Hassan Nasrallah: "[An Israeli expert wrote:] The people of Haifa are afraid of a lethal attack, if a war breaks out. Even without a wat - they are afraid anyway. The people of Haifa fear a lethal attack on the containers - there are huge containers there, which store ammonia... These ammonia containers are in Haifa. In the 2006 war, we refrained from attacking those containers. They store there over 15,000 tons - let me repeat, tons - of this gas, which might cause the deaths of tens of thousands of people.

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"The expert added: This is exactly like a nuclear bomb. In other words, Lebanon has a nuclear bomb. This is no exaggeration. Absolutely not. We don't really have a nuclear bomb... It's a nuclear bomb in the sense that several missiles launched from here, together with the ammonia containers in Haifa, will lead to the same impact as a nuclear bomb. He said that if a few missiles land on those containers, in an area where 800,000 people live, tens of thousands of people will be killed. Eizenkot, you cannot destroy Dahiya even with the most powerful airforce, and no matter how many missiles you launch or what capabilities you deploy. We, on the other hand, with a few missiles... This is one example, which is located in Haifa. This is one example and there are others.

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"With regard to the ammonia storage facility in Haifa - a decision was made several days ago that the ammonia storage tanks in Haifa must be emptied within ten days. Why? After all, these ammonia tanks have been there for decades... it is because the resistance talked about these storage tanks, and about how they constitute the equivalent of a nuclear bomb. Moreover, there is a ship that brings the ammonia, and distributes it to the Haifa facility and other facilities. I said that the Haifa ammonia facility is the equivalent of a nuclear bomb, but they said that the ship that carries ammonia to occupied Palestine constitutes five nuclear bombs. To where exactly could this ship escape from us? Let's assume that they empty the Haifa facility... First of all, no matter where they take this storage facility, we will be able to reach it, Allah willing. Obviously, it is easier in Haifa - there is no doubt about that - but no matter where they move that storage facility, we will be able to reach it. Let's assume that you manage to hide this storage facility. Where will you hide the ship? Under which wave will you hide it? This enemy faces a resistance that has capabilities, and that has the courage to use these capabilities in any real confrontation, so it takes a thousand things into consideration. Therefore, they decided to empty the ammonia facility - and the people of Haifa thanked Hizbullah. 'We've been demanding this for 20-30 years, but nobody listened to us,' they said. Today, I call upon the enemy not just to move the ammonia facility out of Haifa, but to dismantle the nuclear plant in Dimona as well. They know that this plant is old and outdated. This plant is worn out and is running on fumes, and it cannot withstand a massive missile attack. They know what will become of them and of their [Zionist] entity if missiles hit that plant."