Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem delivered a speech Wednesday night for the start of Ashura commemorations at the tomb of Hassan Nasrallah, while he remained hidden in an unknown location and the address was broadcast on giant screens. The speech fused Shiite religious themes with sharp attacks on Israel and the United States, and underscored Hezbollah’s commitment to armed struggle.
Qassem opened with the year’s slogan, “Hussein is our path,” and described Imam Hussein’s legacy as one of reform, resistance to tyranny, commanding good, forbidding evil, and self-sacrifice. He invoked the Battle of Karbala, where Hussein refused allegiance to Yazid and was killed along with family members and followers, saying the commemoration is not only emotional or cultural but also practical and tied to jihad.
Much of the speech praised Iran, which Qassem called a “great victory” against American attempts to overthrow the ayatollahs’ rule. He said “the pride of American tyranny was broken,” claimed Washington’s “colonial project” failed, and stressed that Iran paid a heavy price, including losses among Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, commanders, soldiers, and other officials, before emerging stronger and more influential in the region.
Qassem also portrayed Lebanon as facing an existential struggle, claiming Israel has sought since 1948 to create a weak Lebanon as part of a “Greater Israel” project. He said Hezbollah blocked that project and listed battlefield claims over 105 days, including 3,185 operations, damage to 518 Israeli military vehicles, about 85 aircraft, 12 drones, 12 quadcopters, a helicopter hit, and 1,347 Israeli wounded. He rejected any deal to disarm Hezbollah, demanded a full ceasefire, Israeli withdrawal from all Lebanese territory, the return of displaced residents, and rebuilding of south Lebanon.
He also called on Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and the political leadership to pursue internal unity through dialogue, while rejecting direct talks with Israel on Lebanon’s internal issues and suggesting indirect negotiations instead. Qassem said Hezbollah was prepared to cooperate and cited the group’s facilitation of the Lebanese army’s deployment in the south.
