Zarif on Monday offered his congratulations to Lebanon in separate messages to Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil and Secretary General of the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
He said in his message to Bassil, “The great victory, which was achieved as a result of the sacrifices made by the Lebanese nation’s heroic children and the national unity and solidarity of all tribes and leaders of political and popular forces, further strengthened Lebanon and its immunity to the Zionist regime’s greed and expansionism.”
The Iranian foreign minister also said in his letter to Nasrallah, “Undoubtedly, your prudence, the martyrdom-seeking spirit and the sacrifices made by the Islamic resistance fighters, along with the cooperation, perseverance, and endurance of all Lebanese people, led to this huge and sweet victory over the Zionist regime and its supporters.”
“The historic conquest and victory, along with other successes achieved by the Islamic resistance fighters including the remarkable victory in Arsal, have further disappointed the regional and international supporters of the Zionist regime,” he added.
About 1,200 Lebanese, most of them civilians, were killed in the Israeli war on Lebanon in the summer of 2006. However, Hezbollah fighters defeated the Israeli military, forcing Tel Aviv to retreat without achieving any of its objectives.