Sayyed Nasrallah: Saudi Opposes Iran because It Is Hostile to Israel

Tuesday, 7 April 2015

Sayyed Nasrallah: Saudi Opposes Iran because It Is Hostile to Israel

Local Editor

Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah stressed on Monday that the conflict in the region is pure political, yet the religious differences are being used and exploited in such regional battles, in contrary to the righteous struggle that Hezbollah is fighting against the Zionist enemy.

During an interview aired live on the Syrian al-Ekhbariya channel, Sayyed Nasrallah recalled the Arab and Saudi relations with the ousted Iranian President Shah Mohammad Reda Bahlawi that was excellent because he was their ally under the US rule despite that he was Shiite.

"When the Islamic revolution went off, and the ties with the United States and Israel were cut, a new rhetoric emerged," his eminence stated, noting that Hezbollah has no problem with the Jews, "but with the Zionists who occupied our land."

On Syria, Sayyed Nasrallah reiterated that getting involved in the war was a pure choice of Hezbollah alone, and that the part can shoulder the full responsibility for his decision.
"From the very beginning, we anticipated that the war in Syria will be long and harsh... because a huge battle was being prepared for."

His eminence explained that the reasons behind targeting Syria are not only due to its support for the resistance, but also because it has been an independent state during the last decades by making its own decisions and planning its strategy.

"Syria is also a central state in the region, and no one can set the future of the regional aside from Syria or from the Syria will," Sayyed Nasrallah said, noting that the western camp thought President Bashar al-Assad was in need to their support and relations in order to strengthen his legitimacy following the demise of his father, and thus they tried to confiscate the Syrian will.

"Assassinate of ex-PM Rafik Hariri had set the scenario to accuse Syria, and Syria was obliged to withdraw from Lebanon, but it didn't submit (to the western will), Sayyed Nasrallah said, adding that following the Zionist July 2006 war on Lebanon, the western camp tried to communicate with Assad but he refused to submit to anyone.

"For these reasons, the desire to seize control over Syria or to destroy it has emerged. The battle in Syria is the battle for resistance and for the independence of Syria," he said.

Hezbollah Secretary General stated that al-Qaeda terrorist organization came to Syria in order to control it and to extend its control over the region and over Yemen.

"Since the first day, Assad was ready to answer the rightful popular demands and for dialogue. When they (western camp) realized that, they pressed towards the wide military action."

"They didn't want to serve the interests of the Syrian people, but to topple the regime because it is resistant and independent, and because they want to dominate over Syria and turn it back to a country that has nothing to do with all regional events," his eminence reiterated, stressing that war on Syria has failed since the state still exists, as well as its sovereignty.

"War on Syria has failed due to the steadfastness of the leadership and army, and the wide popular support."

His eminence said that there weren't in Syria anyone who wanted to go to dialogue, and most of the opposition parties are linked to foreign powers.

"The catastrophe was when ISIL (an acronym of the so-called 'Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant') and al-Nusra Front emerged. Are ISIL and al-Nusra ready for dialogue? Is ISIL ideology is a one of dialogue?" Sayyed Nasrallah asked.

"ISIL and al-Nusra are the same but only the names are different," he said.

Hezbollah Secretary General lashed out at those who claim that Hezbollah is occupying Syria, stating that "all the Lebanese people can't occupy Syria. This talk is nonsense and aims at underestimating Syria and its role."

"Those who promote for this idea seek to legitimize their support for the armed groups," he added, underlying that domestic decisions are purely Syrian and foreign policy is purely Syrian, and the Iranian leadership insists to respect this sovereignty.

On Hezbollah, Sayyed Nasrallah emphasized that the party is neither a regional power nor a regular army, but a resistance movement who has certain personnel and capabilities, yet he might be have qualitative influence in some arenas, particularly in fighting guerilla wars.

"We are present in Syria as required, and we will deploy where we should deploy, without any political or non-political considerations."

"Qalamoun battle is a joint Syria-Lebanese requirement, and we have the capability to be where it is required," he said, elaborating that sometimes Hezbollah participates by fighter, and others by advice and consultation.

Answering a question on why Hezbollah responded from South Lebanon to the Zionist brutal air strike that targeted a Hezbollah convoy in Syria's Quneitra in January, Sayyed Nasrallah stated that Hezbollah wanted to deliver a message that both the enemy and the friend had understood, "and if we responded from Syria, the strategic value of the response would be lesser."

Addressing the Saudi war on Yemen, Sayyed Nasrallah stated that Saudi Arabia wants to regain its dominance over Yemen, and every talk about the Iranian dominance over Yemen is untrue, but the Yemenis were seeking to turn their country into an independent one that supports the regional causes and the resistance movements.

A coalition of 10 countries, led by the Saudi Arabia, launched two weeks ago a wide military offensive on Yemen, killing 20 civilians in one attack, wounding scores others and causing so much destruction.

Media outlets reported that Saudi Arabia has deployed "100 fighter jets, 150,000 soldiers and other navy units" for the military campaign against Yemen. It also sent 5000 takfiri terrorists to fight against the Yemeni army.

Hezbollah Secretary General made explained that the war on Yemen was the result of seeking freedom:

"Freedom from the Saudi domination means freedom from the US domination. Yemen has a strategic location. Aggression on Yemen is a Saudi-US onslaught and the Israelis are afraid of raising 'Down with Israel' slogans in Yemen."

Sayyed Nasrallah approved on the US President Barack Obama statement about the Gulf states who oppose the nuclear deal with Iran, stating that the problem of Gulf countries are not with Iran but with the youth who are raised upon the ISIL ideology which reflects the Wahhabi doctrine.

Obama said in an interview on Sunday that Gulf states face a greater threat from within their own countries than from outside forces such as Iran.

"Lately, the Saudi Arabia was paying funds in more than a state, taking advantage of its money, media, and clerics who are issuing fatwas (a religious rule)."

"In all its proxy wars in the region, Saudi Arabia has failed. However in Yemen, the country which forced the Saudi to engage directly in this war, the internal forces for whom it is used to pay are not able to do anything."

Sayyed Nasrallah urged the Saudi Arabia to end its aggression on Yemen and to leave the Yemeni people to go to dialogue, indicating that the Ansarullah group has agreed to hold the national dialogue in any neutral state.

Touching on the Pakistani position on war on Yemen, Sayyed Nasrallah said that it is a result of the Saudi funds and political pressure, even though the Pakistanis know that Saudi Arabia has exported al-Qaeda and Taliban to their country.

He expressed beliefs that Turkey is reviewing its strategy in the region due to its failure in Syria, Egypt and Libya, stating that Ankara seeks to rearrange ties with the Saudi Arabia, but ruling out the Turkish military participation in war on Yemen.

"None of the aerial assault goals has been achieved so far, which proves the great Saudi-US failure. The only achievement was getting the vast majority of their people against the attack," he said, adding that another achievement was offering support for ISIL and al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula takfiri groups, even though they pose a major threat against the Saudi security.

"People in Yemen demand (that army and popular committees) to enter Saudi territories, but the command still didn't make the decision... Battlefield command in Yemen hasn't decided yet to close Bab al-Mandeb strait or to target goals inside the Saudi Arabia in spite of having the ability to do so," Sayyed Nasrallah said.

Hezbollah leader stressed that the US and the Zionist entity want to destroy the Yemeni military because they do not want to see a powerful army in the region, reiterating his expectations about the Saudi failure which will have repercussions on the kingdom itself, on its emirs and kings, and on the region.

Turning to the nuclear deal between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the P5+1 group, Sayyed Nasrallah voiced that the agreement boosts the Iranian role in the Middle East and will not lead to any pressure over its allies.

Addressing the main cause of Hezbollah, Secretary General stressed that "Palestine is not lost even though they (US, the Zionist entity, and allies in the region) are working on it. Some people have the right to worry and I accuse the majority of the Arab regimes of working for decades on that. They were embarrassed by the Palestinian people who have made enormous sacrifices, and they want that current events would eliminate Palestine, but this will never happen because it is linked to the choices of the alive Palestinian people."

"Resistance movements will never abandon Palestine and Syria will never abandon Palestine even if it has some blame on certain factions," Sayyed Nasrallah said, stressing that the party is keen to have good ties with most of the Palestinian factions, and all differences in points of view can be solved through dialogue.

Hezbollah head said that his party does not claim the power to launch a war on the Zionist entity or to liberate Palestine: "We are realistic, we are confronting with a force, but we are different from others who have given up."

Moreover, Sayyed Nasrallah called on the Syrian people to understand the events that took place in the recent years and to avoid being affected by the psychological warfare.

"You are required to withstand and to have confidence in the coming victory. You have to believe in dialogue and to respect the head of the state, i.e. President Bashar al-Assad," Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah concluded.