Hizbullah Leader Nasrallah Pledges Allegiance to Khamenei, Adds: Regional War Would Spell the End of Israel, U.S. Hegemony

In a September 10, 2019 speech in honor of Ashura that aired on Al-Manar TV (Lebanon), Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah reiterated Hizbullah's loyalty to Iran and its Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. Nasrallah said that, as part of the Islamic resistance, Hizbullah will never be neutral in the battle between truth and falsehood, and he assured the audience that a regional war would spell the end of Israel and of U.S. hegemony and presence in the region. Referring to Supreme Leader Khamenei as the "[Imam] Hussein of this age," Nasrallah said that Hizbullah and its followers would follow Khamenei even if they knew that America and the Zionists were to kill them, burn them, and spread their ashes into the wind 1,000 times over. This is the same pledge that Imam Hussein's companions told Hussein on the eve of Ashura. The audience chanted: "We would not abandon you, oh son of Hussein!"

Following are excerpts:

Hassan Nasrallah: On the day of Hussein, the day of Ashura, we reiterate our position, as a part of the Resistance Axis. We are not, and we never will be, neutral in the battle between Truth and Falsehood – the battle between Hussein and Yazid. To those who think that the hypothetical war – if indeed it takes place – would bring an end to the Resistance Axis, I say with force, honesty, and determination, [while keeping in mind] the sacrifices of the Resistance Axis, that this hypothetical war would spell the end of Israel and the end of American hegemony and presence in our region. This axis, this camp, which is headed by the leader and imam sayyed Khamenei… From here in Lebanon, I say to the whole world that our imam, our leader, our dear sayyed, our Hussein of this age is the honorable Imam Sayyed Ayatollah Ali Al-Husseini Khamenei, and I say that the Islamic Republic of Iran is the heart of the [Resistance] Axis, its main hub, its most staunch supporter, and its true, powerful, and genuine leader.

[…]

To our sayyed, our imam, Imam Khamenei, we say… To you, our sayyed, our imam, and our Hussein, we say what Hussein's companions told Hussein on the eve of the 10^th of Muharram: Our sayyed, our imam, our leader, even if we knew that we were to be killed, burned, and spread to the wind, then resurrected, killed, burned, and spread to the wind 1,000 times over… Even if the Americans and the Zionists were to do this to us 1,000 times over, we would not abandon you, oh son of Hussein!

Audience: We would not abandon you, oh son of Hussein. We would not abandon you, oh son of Hussein. We would not abandon you, oh son of Hussein.