Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian met Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah to confer about the latest regional developments, especially in Syria.
Speaking in the meeting held in the Lebanese capital Beirut on Sunday, Nasrallah said if the resistance fighters had not sacrificed their lives to fight the Israeli regime and terrorist groups, there would have been no security in the region today, Fars News Agency reported. Amir-Abdollahian’s trip to Lebanon came in the wake of the martyrdom of the high-ranking Hezbollah commander, Mustafa Badreddine, in Damascus on Friday. The leader of the Lebanese resistance movement said the Zionist regime and its supporters are using terrorism as a tool to spread instability in Muslim countries and advance their illegitimate interests. Nasrallah also denounced divisive moves within the Muslim world by certain states, stressing the need for unity and vigilance of Muslims against the Zionist regime.
Commending Tehran’s efforts to help find political solutions for conflicts in West Asia, Nasrallah said countries insisting on military approaches and helping terrorists reach their goals are behind the growth of terrorism in the region. Amir-Abdollahian offered his condolences on the martyrdom of the slain commander.
On the same day, the deputy foreign minister also met the bereaved family of Badreddine. In the meeting, Amir-Abdollahian said martyrs are a source of honor for the Muslim world. He said efforts by certain regional countries to support terrorists undermine security in the region and only benefit the Israeli regime, which seeks division in the Muslim world.
Two Sides of the Same Coin
“Takfiri terrorists and the Zionist occupiers are two sides of the same coin,” he said. A Takfiri is an extremist who accuses followers of Islamic sects of being heretics and believes their murder is allowed.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran, with a firm determination, will continue efforts to fight terrorism and promote unity in the Muslim world,” he said.
Hezbollah announced on Friday that Badreddine was martyred near the Damascus International Airport, along with five others. The resistance group said in a statement on Saturday that investigations show a massive explosion caused by shelling of terrorists operating against the Damascus government has martyred the commander. It said Badreddine’s killing will only boost Hezbollah’s “will and intention to continue fighting these criminal gangs”.
In recent years, Hezbollah fighters have been helping Syrian forces against a range of terrorist groups, including the self-styled Islamic State and the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Nusra Front.
