Hezbollah's Strong Response to Lebanese Interior Minister Defending the Islamic Republic

The Lebanese group Hezbollah reacted to the remarks of the Lebanese Interior Minister against the leader of the Islamic Republic, labeling Saudi Arabia as a "criminal," "ignorant," and "the main source of terrorism in the region," accusing it of "fomenting discord" with its mercenaries in the area. In its strongly worded statement, a copy of which was published on the Al-Ahd website, the group emphasized that Iran and the leader of the Islamic Republic "stand by the oppressed nations of the world." Hezbollah's harsh statement comes after Nihad al-Mashnouq, the Interior Minister and a figure from the Future Movement in Lebanon, on Tuesday, April 25, reacted to the remarks of the leader of the Islamic Republic regarding Saudi Arabia's military intervention in Yemen, saying that "his nose will be rubbed in the dirt." Earlier, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had stated on Thursday, April 20, referring to the military operations of Saudi Arabia and its allies against the Shia Houthis in Yemen, that "the noses of the Saudis will definitely be rubbed in the dirt." In response to these remarks, the Lebanese Interior Minister said: "From Beirut, a capital that has suffered greatly from the owner of this statement... as much as it has suffered from Israel, from a capital that Riyadh has never been stingy towards... I say he... will have his nose rubbed in the dirt." He addressed the leader of the Islamic Republic, emphasizing: "This is a new Arab era in which we will not allow the commander of all wars and sectarian conflicts in the region to shed crocodile tears for the children of Yemen while leading the massacre of children in Syria and Iraq." In response to these statements, Hezbollah's statement deemed the comparison of the group's "crimes of Saudi Arabia and Riyadh's support for terrorism" with the Islamic Republic as "unjust." The group also accused the leaders of the Future Movement of being "pleased" with what it described as the "massacre of defenseless people in Yemen" by Saudi Arabia. Nihad al-Mashnouq had stated that Saudi Arabia's military operations in Yemen were "for the future freedom of the entire Arab world from the grip of Iran over its dignity, destiny, and the desires of its people." Hezbollah's positions against Saudi military operations in Yemen align with the views of the Islamic Republic. Meanwhile, Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, stated on Friday, April 7, that "the outcome of this war is clear; Saudi Arabia will be defeated, and the people of Yemen will achieve an undeniable victory." Saad Hariri, the leader of the Future Movement and former Prime Minister of Lebanon, called Hassan Nasrallah's statements "vengeful" and "disgusting," accusing the Hezbollah group of prioritizing "Iran's interests over Lebanon's national interests." The Arab countries of the Persian Gulf began airstrikes and bombing positions of the Houthis on April 6 to stop their advance. Iran, which has been accused of supporting the Houthis in Yemen, has repeatedly protested Saudi military intervention in Yemen and has stated that the solution to the crisis in this country lies in dialogue among Yemeni groups and the formation of an inclusive government. The Houthis, Shia Muslims residing in northern Yemen, imprisoned Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi in the presidential palace after taking control of Sana'a last September. He fled to Aden in February and last month, as the Houthis approached this city, he sought refuge in Saudi Arabia.