Friday, 26/06/2026   
   Beirut 13:02

Hezbollah’s Sheikh Qassem: ‘Israel’ Has No Option but to Fully Withdraw, Defeated and Humiliated

Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Qassem in a telvised speech addressing Ashura rally in Beirut's Dahiyeh (June 26, 2026).

Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem affirmed on Friday that the Israeli enemy has to fully withdraw from every inch of Lebanon, “defeated and humiliated.”

Addressing mass Ashura rally in Beirut’s southern suburb (Dahiyeh), Sheikh Qassem stressed there will be no normalization or concessions to the Zionist entity.

No party has the right to the right to sign or accept any arrangement that falls short of Lebanon’s full sovereignty and independence, the Hezbollah leader emphasized, referring to direct talks between the ruling political authority in Lebanon and the Israeli enemy.

In this context, Sheikh Qassem said the political authority in Lebanon must reconsider its course in two directions: “Unifying its stance against the Israeli aggression, and ceasing to implement the enemy’s dictates.”

His eminence underlined importance of leveraging Iran-US MoU as a key support for Lebanese sovereignty, hailing the Islamic Republic as saying it “shapes the future for itself and the region.”

Ashura Icon of Sacrifice

Drawing lessons from Imam Hussein’s (a.s.) school, Sheikh Qassem stressed that “Ashura stands as the ultimate revolutionary mobilization, reshaping the equation and toppling tyranny at its core.”

He reiterated allegiance to the third Shia Imam as saying: “We tell Imam Hussein (a.s.) that we shall never forsake him.”

In this context, he praised people of resistance over mass participation in the Ashura rallies, especially in Dahiyeh: “Despite displacement, suffering, loss, and hardship, our people still mark Ashura commemorations this year.”

“Our dignified people learned from Imam Hussein’s (a.s.) school and stood firm against Israeli aggression,” his eminence said in remarks carried by Al-Manar.

“We have moved from ‘If only we had been with you’ to ‘We are with you and you are with us.’ We are no longer facing a historical Karbala, but a present one that links history to today, to the future, and to Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance). This reflects the spread of light and the approach of liberation.”

“We’ve Broken US-Israeli Project”

Shifting towards the political developments, Sheikh Qassem said: “We faced a war to eliminate Hezbollah, its environment, its people, and the citizens associated with it in Lebanon.”

The Hezbollah leader hit back at remarks by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio who claimed that the Israeli presence in Lebanon because of Hezbollah missile attacks. He stressed that the Israeli presence in Lebanon is part of an expansionist project toward ‘Greater Israel,’ while the resistance is a response to occupation and aggression, not the other way around.

“This Israeli-American aggression by land, sea, and air targets civilians, land, and infrastructure using all forms of weaponry, with support from allies and proxies. It is accompanied by schemes of internal division, political pressure, and financial blockade, as well as attempts to undermine educational, social, and cultural institutions. It constitutes a major war and a grave threat aimed at erasing our existence,” Sheikh Qassem warned.

“However, thanks be to God, through Karbala-inspired steadfastness of our noble people, we were able to halt this aggression which threatens our existence.”

He affirmed in this context: “We declare it loud and clear: We have broken the Israeli-American project and entered a new phase. Any action moving forward must be based on the realities of this new phase.”

“We Thank Iran”

The aggression on Lebanon coincided with the aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran, Sheikh Qassem stated, noting that the US and ‘Israel’ wanted to eliminate Iran by changing its regime and taking control of the country, and they believed they could do so.

“Iran stood firm, presenting Imam Khamenei as a symbol, banner, and light of the revolution, amid immense human sacrifice and losses across leaders, civilians, and society.”

The US-Iran MoU is a formal declaration of defeat for the US and ‘Israel’, the Hezbollah leader stressed, hailing the Islamic Republic as saying: “Iran shapes the future for itself and the region.”

On joint efforts between the resistance in Lebanon and Iran, Sheikh Qassem said: “We’ve cooperated with Iran during the period of aggression and together we broke the project. Enemies sought to divide and isolate us, but we stood as a unified axis.”

In a clear response to those who criticized Hezbollah for thanking Iran over support in face of Israeli aggression, the Hezbollah S.G. said: “We thank Iran so that gratitude may pierce diseased hearts and overwhelm them with regret, we will remain by the Islamic Republic’s side.”

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Source: Al-Manar English Website