Khamenei: Israel delusional in thinking it can besiege Hezbollah through Syria

BEIRUT — Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, dismissed Israel's belief that it can besiege Hezbollah through Syria to eliminate the group, calling it a "delusion," local media outlets reported Tuesday, citing the Iranian Fars news agency.

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What does the future hold for the Assad-aligned parties after his regime’s fall?

On Dec. 8, Syrian rebels ousted former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, cutting the weapons supply line between Iran and Hezbollah that runs through Syria.

In his latest speech, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem admitted that "Hezbollah has lost the military supply route through Syria," but he added that "this is a small detail that can change over time."

During a meeting with Iranian women in Tehran on a religious occasion, Khamenei said: "The Zionist entity is delusional in thinking it can besiege Hezbollah through Syria to eliminate it, but the one who will actually be eliminated is Israel.”

“The perception of America, the Zionist entity and some of their allies about the end of the resistance is completely wrong," he added.

Khamenei added that "the spirits of [former Hezbollah Secretary-General] Hassan Nasrallah [former Hamas leader] Yahya Sinwar are alive. Their martyrdom did not take them out of the scene but only removed their physical presence." 

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In September, four days after the escalation of the war between Hezbollah and Israel in Lebanon, Nasrallah was killed in a violent Israeli airstrike that targeted Beirut's southern suburbs. Haniyeh was assassinated by Israel in Tehran on July 31, while Sinwar was killed by the Israeli army in Gaza on Oct. 16. 

Khamenei concluded by saying that “Gaza is subjected to daily attacks and offers martyrs, yet it is steadfast and resists, and Lebanon is also resisting.”