Sayyed Nasrallah Launches Battle to Confront Economic Crisis, To US: Your Policy Won’t Weaken Hezbollah

By Zeinab Essa

Beirut - Hezbollah Secretary General His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah delivered on Tuesday a televised speech on the latest developments, particularly the Lebanese internal situation.

At the beginning of his speech, Sayyed Nasrallah recalled the anniversary of the Divine victory scored July war “the resistance’s victories and the defeat of the American scheme in the region from the Lebanese Gate. He further announced that he is to tackle this victory as well as the triumph over the takfiri terrorism in the coming speeches.

Meanwhile, His Eminence remembered the ‘late dear and noble Ayatollah Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlullah, who stood firm in support of the resistance. We feel him living with us despite a decade on his departure.”

On the internal Lebanese situation, Sayyed Nasrallah viewed that “What the Lebanese are suffering on the economic level requires the cooperation, solidarity and sincerity of all sides. The current situation at the economic, financial and social levels requires everyone's efforts and intelligence.”

“He who deals with the economic crisis must think about all Lebanon and not a certain village or district because the repercussions of the crisis are affecting everyone,” he said, pointing out that “The starting point of the solution is to deal with this crisis in humanitarian, patriotic, moral and religious manner.”

Calling for following “a national approach” to solve the crisis, the Resistance Leader underscored that “One should think of all those living on Lebanese soil, including refugees.”

In parallel, he clarified that “Moving towards the east does not mean cutting ties with the West and we are open to any country that is willing to help Lebanon by setting deposits and providing loans. We are open to get help from any country in the world except from the “Israeli” entity.”

“Unfortunately, some people have begun to claim that we are seeking to make Lebanon as part of certain axes,” His Eminence added, saying “We are not seeking to cut off the ‘Western oxygen’ from anyone in Lebanon. Let them breathe it.”

In addition, Sayyed Nasrallah declared that “Hezbollah will put all its considerations aside to make Lebanon pass this difficult stage.”

“I heard some people saying, ‘They want to turn Lebanon into the Iranian model.’ We did not say that. We asked the Iranians to help us, otherwise they need dollar,” he added.

Assuring everyone that “No one wants to implement the Iranian model nor change the face of Lebanon” Sayyed Nasrallah underscored that “We must be open to any country in the world willing to help Lebanon, We must knock its door and search for opportunities.”

“Hezbollah won't be an obstacle if America wants to help Lebanon,” he said, pointing out that “We must set the way to prevent the state’s collapse and hunger as a goal.”

Regarding claims that Hezbollah seeks to turn Lebanon into an Iranian model, His Eminence confirmed that “Iran is making sacrifices when it agrees to sell oil products to Lebanon in Lebanese Pound. Iran's economic example is a good example because it has dealt with the siege and sanctions and has reached self-sufficiency.”

Praising Iran's resistance to US sanctions over the decades and compared Iran to Lebanon and said: “Be assured that Lebanon does not have the elements of the Iranian model; a model that has made Iran stand up to US sanctions."

According to His Eminence, “It is not permissible for the public performance to be covered by negative wait for the results of negotiations with the International Monetary Fund or the regional developments without searching for other options.”

“What Lebanon is experiencing today is a threat of hunger and collapse,” Sayyed Nasrallah cautioned, noting that “Lebanon is able to turn the threat into an opportunity and to emerge from the accumulation of wrong policies.”

He also explained that “If we said that China should come invest in Lebanon, this does not mean turning the country into a communist system,” noting that “The effectiveness of openness to China was demonstrated through the American madness and the campaign against this choice.”

In addition, His Eminence stated that “The Americans have launched an aggressive campaign against the Chinese option to intimidate the Lebanese and prevent them from moving towards China.

Regarding openness to Iraq, he viewed that “it was a good thing. Iraq is an economically capable country, and there is religious and medical tourism between the two countries.” However, Sayyed Nasrallah mentioned that “There are people who started to doubt that Iraq will be open to Lebanon due to the American pressure.”

“It is required to send a delegation to Iraq as Baghdad did, and not to surrender to the talk about American pressure on the Iraqi government,” Hezbollah Secretary General said.

Sayyed Nasrallah added that “The central bank is obliged to pay billions of dollars to cover Lebanon’s need for oil derivatives, so if we ask the Iranian brothers to sell us oil derivatives in Lebanese pounds, how much this will save the central bank?”

“What we are going through today is the most dangerous threat that can face a people and a state, but we are capable as Lebanese state and people to turn the threat into a chance,” His Eminence predicted, pointing out that “We have an opportunity to carry out very important steps towards economic stability.”

On the Iranian readiness to sell Lebanon oil derivatives in the Lebanese pound, he declared “I do not want to precede the brothers in Iran, but I guarantee you this. This is a blessed matter.”

“This methodology gives hope to the Lebanese and sends a strong message to the American that whoever wants to besiege Lebanon and suffocate it, Lebanon has options, paths, and other gates, and you will not be able to starve and topple us,” His Eminence predicted.

According to His Eminence, “During decades of economic policies in the country, Lebanon was being prepared for the perception of peace in the region, and Lebanon was established as a country of services. As a result of this policy, two sectors, the agricultural and industrial sectors, were struck.”

Sayyed Nasrallah added that “We are a consuming country and today there is a chance to become a productive country and the State has a responsibility to revive the agricultural and industrial sectors.”

“Turning Lebanon into a productive country is a responsibility of the state and the people,” he stressed, urging the Lebanese to fight to revive the industrial and agricultural sectors as a prerequisite for survival in dignity.

Calling Lebanese community to wage ‘agricultural and industrial jihad and resistance.” Sayyed Nasrallah announced: “We in Hezbollah took a decision to confront collapse and hunger, and all Hezbollah, with all its capabilities, friendships and alliances, will be at the heart of this confrontation.”

To the people of the resistance, he sent the following message: “Over the past decades, we have raised on the slogan ‘We are to be present where we should be’ and we have achieved all our victories by this slogan. Today we are in the battle of industry and agriculture. This is our new battlefield. Let the date of 7-7-2020 be to declare jihad, resistance and renaissance at the agricultural and industrial levels.”

Warning the US that its state Department is playing an exposed role in Lebanon, Sayyed Nasrallah addressed the latest blatant US ambassador by saying: “The US ambassador is acting like a military ruler and what business does she have in intervening in the financial appointments?

“The US ambassador has no right to say if the current government should leave. She is also blatantly interfering in the nature of the next government, he added, noting that “The Lebanese people and the Lebanese parliament determine whether the government remains or leaves. The US ambassador is inciting the Lebanese against each other.”

Once again, His Eminence reminded he who’s concerned that “Hezbollah is a Lebanese party that has great popularity and participates in political life, and every day the US ambassador attacks it with the most horrific description while the Lebanese state remains silent.”

Expressing Hezbollah’s pride in Judge Moahmmed Mazeh's ruling, Sayyed Nasrallah unveield that the “ Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc MPs will present a petition to the Lebanese Foreign Ministry to ask the American Ambassador to abide by diplomatic relations and international law.”

“The US is exploiting the accumulations of 40 years in Lebanon,” he went on to say, hoping that “the American ambassador does not talk to us about sovereignty and human rights.”

To the US Ambassador, Hezbollah SG sent a sounding message: “You are the ones who brought the takfiri terrorism and enabled the “Israeli” terrorism against the Palestinians. You represent a country that waged wars and plundered goods, and with what is happening in the US from racial discrimination, you are never entitled to speak, "Do not act as a teacher, professor, or counselor."

“The US is trying to weaken and isolate Hezbollah through starving the people and turning them against the resistance,” he added, assuring that “the US schemes to Lebanon will not work and Hezbollah and the Resistance will not surrender.”

Sayyed Nasrallah further addressed the Americans by saying: “Hezbollah will not surrender, the resistance will not surrender, and your policies will lead to no result. Stop this game and end the waste of time. The policy of siege and sanctions you are following against Lebanon won't weaken Hezbollah but rather your allies and influence.”

On the regional level, he emphasized that “Hezbollah’s preoccupation with our economic situation should not make us forget supporting the Palestinians.”