Nasrullah denies rumors about his health, criticizes Netanyahu’s coalition
Hassan Nasrullah, the leader of Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite terrorist group Hezbollah, appeared on television on Tuesday to silence rumors that he is in poor health. He also attacked the “crazy officials” of Israel’s new “government of corrupt criminals and extremists”.
“I would like to assure you: there is no reason to worry,” Nasrullah said in a speech marking the third anniversary of the killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, who was killed by a US airstrike in Iraq. He also spoke out against Israel’s new government, saying he hoped it would lead to the destruction of the Jewish state.
Nasrullah, 62, denied rumors in some Israeli and international media that he had suffered a stroke or was near death after his scheduled speech on Friday was canceled. Nasrullah, who coughed throughout his speech and his voice was hoarse, said that he has been suffering from an “allergy to hay” for 30 years.
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“After what has been said in the Israeli and Gulf media, I want to assure you: there is no reason to worry,” he said.
“I’m sorry for bothering you,” he told his followers. Lebanese Hezbollah-affiliated media reported that Nasrullah was suffering from the flu, which prevented him from speaking normally and caused the speech to be canceled.
The Hezbollah leader also addressed Israel’s new government, as well as far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s highly controversial visit to the Temple Mount on Tuesday morning.
“Any attack on Al-Aqsa can explode the entire region,” said Nasrullah, and sent a message to the international community to “bring these crazy officials in Israel to their feet” to avoid war.
According to the translation of the Lebanese news site Naharnet, Nasrullah said, “The new Israeli government is a government made up of corrupt, criminal and extremist people.”
He joked that the only reason to be optimistic about the new government is that it could hasten the destruction of Israel.
“We will not tolerate any change in the fragile balance of power between Israel and Lebanon,” he said. “We used Netanyahu for a long time and we are not afraid of him. »
Soleimani, the architect of Iran’s regional military activities as the head of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was killed on January 3, 2020, by an American MQ-9 Reaper drone strike in Iraq. It is considered a national symbol by supporters of the Iranian theocracy.
Iranian President Ibrahim Raissi vowed revenge for his killing on Tuesday.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
