Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah during a speech on Jan. 3, 2023. (Credit: Al-Manar screenshot)
BEIRUT — Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah argued on Tuesday against politicians waiting on regional and international political agreements to move forward with Lebanon's presidential election, praising some of the bilateral meetings that have taken place over the past weeks between politicians in the country as Lebanon surpasses two months without a head of state.
Speaking to mark the third anniversary of the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the elite Quds Force in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Nasrallah said, "We have heard many who say that the presidential election in Lebanon is postponed pending the results of the [Iranian-American] nuclear negotiations; this is unfounded."
Hezbollah's leader also criticized "those who are waiting for a Saudi-Iranian agreement," adding they should expect "a lot of waiting, so arrange your affairs that there will be no president."
"Iran does not discuss the [Lebanese] presidential election with anyone and has not been interfering in the internal affairs of any country for 40 years," Nasrallah added.
'Good bilateral meetings'
In his speech on Tuesday, Nasrallah also praised some of the bilateral meetings that have taken place in Lebanon between several politicians amid the political deadlock.
"We need to go back to each other, and internal dialogue is essential," he said.
"I tell you, don't wait for foreign powers because time is of the essence," he added.
His call comes ahead of an expected meeting in mid-January between representatives of France, the United States, Qatar and Saudi Arabia to discuss the Lebanese crisis.
"Some of the bilateral meetings that took place last week in Lebanon were good in the absence of an inclusive dialogue in the manner called for by [Parliament] Speaker [Nabih] Berri," Nasrallah said.
It was not clear exactly which of the bilateral meetings the Hezbollah chief was praising, but a Hezbollah delegation on Monday visited Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai in Bkirki and called for "compromise" on choosing Lebanon's next president. A meeting also took place between Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) leader Walid Joumblatt and the Free Patriotic Movement leader Gebran Bassil around two weeks ago.
Meanwhile, Bassil and his main opponent for the presidency, the head of the Marada Movement Sleiman Frangieh also met, according to some local reports which L'Orient Today was not able to confirm.
Commenting on the disagreement that occurred between Hezbollah and the FPM, Nasrallah said that his party is "keen on addressing it through communication, and there will be close meetings, and we are keen on [maintaining] the relationship."
Hezbollah and the FPM, the party founded by former President Michel Aoun, had exchanged criticisms in early December after Najib Mikati's caretaker cabinet convened at the Grand Serail in Beirut, defying the FPM's objection to the meeting.
Bassil appeared to accuse the party, without explicitly naming it, of having "broken an agreement" regarding the boycott of cabinet, but Hezbollah rejected this criticism by its Christian ally and denied having promised Bassil that the government ministers affiliated to it "would boycott urgent government meetings if the FPM ministers are absent."
'No reason to worry' about Nasrallah's health
Nasrallah also reassured his supporters on Tuesday that there was "no reason to worry" about his health, after rumors circulated over the weekend after a speech scheduled for Friday was canceled.
"I was prepared as usual to deliver my speech on Friday. I apologize for having worried you and I thank you for having inquired about my condition," Nasrallah said.
"I would like to reassure you, after seeing some articles in the Israeli and Gulf media, there is absolutely no reason to worry," he continued, pointing out that he has been suffering from tracheitis for over 30 years.
On Friday, Hezbollah's leader canceled a scheduled speech, in which he was expected to talk about Lebanese political developments, because he was suffering from a "flu," according to a party statement.
In the following days, rumors circulated in the media, especially in the Israeli press, about the seriousness of his condition.
Some media reported that he had suffered a stroke and was hospitalized, while others stressed his serious condition and said he was on life support.
The party denied this information in a statement to L'Orient Today, stressing that it was related to an "Israeli propaganda" campaign.