Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, who is rarely seen in public, made himself visible on Wednesday in south Beirut, warning that failure for the P5+1 nations to reach a nuclear accord with Iran will lead to a regional war.
“To all Arab peoples in the Gulf countries of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, UAE and Oman: What is the alternative to an understanding between Iran and world leaders? It is regional war,” he declared.
Nasrallah usually eschews public appearances, preferring to speak through a television link from hidden locations because he claims Israel is trying to assassinate him.
Nasrallah utilized the time-honored technique of Islamic nations opposed to Israel to vilify the Jewish State as the cause of all problems to explain the negotiation break-down. He claimed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “is doing everything he can to make the Iranian nuclear negotiations [in Geneva] with the P5+1 countries fail,” and saying he was “furious [at the prospect of an agreement] and tried to obstruct an accord.”
Nasrallah said Netanyahu was “pushing for war… Israel wants the US to attack Syria, Afghanistan and Iran to preserve its security… any accord that prevents a war in the region is rejected by Israel.”
But Nasrallah also couldn’t help letting a hint of the truth emerge, admitting that Israel is not alone in its concern over Iran’s nuclear program. He said Netanyahu is materializing as a “spokesperson for several Arab countries” which are also “acting similarly to Israel and rejecting a political solution in Syria and any international accord with Iran.”
Nasrallah boasted that if the P5+1 nations reach an agreement with Iran it would bolster Iran and its allies, such as Syria and Hezbollah. He added that Hezbollah had “two allies only: Syria and Iran that have never abandoned us,” while issuing a warning to others to stay out of Lebanon, a warning apparently meant for Saudi Arabia.
Negotiations between the P5+1 and Iran broke down last weekend; another attempt is scheduled for November 20.
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