Iranian officials have welcomed the result of Lebanon's elections as a victory for democracy and a decisive “no” to Israel and the United States, who have been trying to undermine the resistance front opposed to their ploys and presence in the volatile region.
"Despite character assassinations and the 'dirty money' spent by the US, the Zionists, the brave Lebanese nation went to the polls and expressed themselves clearly with a 'no' to America and Zionism," Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani told an open session of parliament on Tuesday, IRNA reported.
Hezbollah and its political allies made significant gains in the parliamentary election on Sunday, boosting an Iranian-backed movement fiercely opposed to Israeli lawlessness and underlining Tehran's growing regional role and influence.
It was the first parliamentary vote in the country since 2009, and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah called the result a "very big political, parliamentary and moral victory for the choice of resistance," Reuters reported.
Larijani said the Americans should be aware that "political" and "military" pressure on regional nations almost always backfire.
Victory for Democracy
Foreign Ministry spokesman, Bahram Qasemi, said in a statement Monday that the "peaceful" vote was a "great victory" for democracy in Lebanon.
Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior advisor to the Leader of Islamic Revolution, described the election result as a great step toward the strengthening of the resistance movement.
"The oldest and strongest democracy in the Arab world once again demonstrated its efficiency, with people showing that they will not be lured by the Saudis, the US and Israel," ILNA quoted him as saying.
Saudi Ploys
The outcome can and will have major implications for the region, the official said, adding that Saudi Arabia's attempts to interfere in Lebanon's internal affairs produced the opposite result to the chagrin of the pro-US oil kingdom.
"They held the Lebanese prime minister hostage and wanted to create chaos and internal strife in Lebanon and prevent elections in a peaceful atmosphere because they were aware that [the result] would be in favor of the resistance [movement]," Velayati noted.
He was referring to Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri’s strange resignation in a TV address on November 4, 2017 from Saudi Arabia and then staying in Riyadh, where officials in Beirut said he had been "kidnapped" and forced by the House of Saud to quit.
He returned home on November 21 and rescinded his resignation.
Velayati added that the election result was a sign of "approval" of the Lebanese government's policy of safeguarding the country’s independence, fighting Israel and supporting war-ravaged Syria against terrorists.
Big Victory
Bahram Qasemi, the spokesman for Ministry of Foreign, described the successful election in Lebanon as a victory and big accomplishment for democratic process in Lebanon.
In addition to extending greetings to Lebanese nation and government for successful conducting of an energetic parliamentary election in Lebanon, Qasemi described the event as a legendary and big victory for the whole Lebanese nation from all tribal walks and political movements, Mehr News Agency reported.
The Iranian diplomat issued a congratulatory announcement on Monday evening after the early results showed that more than 49% of Lebanese took part in the parliamentary election on Sunday.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran maintains that holding a peaceful election at the current situation of the region is a big accomplishment for the democratic process serving all people of Lebanon,” he asserted.
The secretary general of the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement said in a televised speech Monday that the “mission is accomplished” after weeks of campaigning.
Addressing his supporters via a televised speech broadcast live from the Lebanese capital city of Beirut on Monday evening, Nasrallah hailed the vote results as “a great moral and political victory for Hezbollah, which protects the country.”
