Beirut: Hezbollah on Thursday rejected new US sanctions and accusations that the Lebanese resistance group operates under the control of Iran's Quds Force, calling the move part of Washington's longstanding campaign to pressure the resistance and weaken Lebanon.
According to National News Agency - Lebanon, Hezbollah issued a statement in response to the US Treasury and State Departments, describing the decision to reimpose sanctions as "another link in the chain" of successive US administrations' policies targeting "the resistance, its community, its environment, and its supporters" through political, financial, and security pressure.
The group argued that these measures serve 'Israel' by attempting to "protect the security of the Israeli enemy, consolidate its occupation of southern Lebanon, and pave the way for its expansionist projects and ambitions in the region." Hezbollah accused Washington of treating Lebanon from a "position of guardianship" and claimed that the US administration was "besieging the Lebanese people and working to strip Lebanon of all its sources of strength" instead of pressuring 'Israel' to withdraw from southern Lebanon and halt its attacks.
Addressing its critics, Hezbollah rejected questions over its Lebanese identity, asserting that it does not "need anyone to validate its Lebanese identity and patriotism," highlighting the sacrifices of its fighters and its history of confronting occupation and defending Lebanon's territory and sovereignty. The group also defended its relationship with Iran, stating: "Our close and fraternal relationship with the Islamic Republic of Iran is one we cherish and are proud of," and credited Iran with supporting Lebanon during crises, helping liberate its territory, and contributing to reconstruction following the 2006 Israeli war.
Hezbollah further denounced Washington's record of military interventions and support for 'Israel', asserting that the US administration had "no moral or legal authority" to determine who is patriotic or to "appoint itself as the judge of the world and its peoples." It described Washington as "the mother of terror in the world," citing US wars and interventions from Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as its support for 'Israel' amid the Gaza war and its attacks on Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, and Iran.
The statement concluded with Hezbollah's vow that the sanctions would not alter its position, emphasizing that "all these unjust sanctions and classifications will not deter us from adhering to the option of resistance" or Lebanon's right to defend its land, sovereignty, and resources. "Resistance was, is and will remain an integral part of Lebanon's history, present and future," the statement affirmed.