Parts of an interview given by Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah to Iranian national television were censored by Iran's censors to avoid raising ire in Lebanon. Hizbullah holds mass rally marking first anniversary of 'divine victory' in Second Lebanon War. Nasrallah accuses US, Israel of driving wedge between organization, Arab nations and the rest of the world
| "We are ready to be torn apart, spliced into tiny pieces, so that Iran will remain exalted. I am a lowly soldier of the Imam Khamenei. Hizbullah youths acted on behalf of the Imam Khomeini." |
Nasrallah also thanked Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and all the "brothers and sisters" in Iran.
From an internal Lebanese perspective, Nasrallah's words, which carry much weight, are tantamount to dissent. Nasrallah confirms that he serves supreme leader of Iran (Khamenei) and that his men fought for Iran last summer. Nasrallah's opponents within Lebanon have long asserted that Nasrallah's loyalties lie with Teheran and that Lebanon is not first on his list of priorities.
Nasrallah himself since the beginning of the war declared himself a proud Lebanese patriot who's first and foremost priority was Lebanon. "Show me one incident in which I did something for another and against Lebanon," he reiterated constantly.
Meanwhile Nasrallah continued to celebrate Hizbullah's "divine victory" last summer. In a speech before thousands in Beirut he warned Israel: "If you are thinking of going to war with Lebanon – I promise you a big surprise that will change the fate of the war and the region," he warned Israel and the US.