BEIRUT, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem expressed support for Iran on Saturday and criticised the United States, accusing Washington of trying to dominate other nations and interfere in their internal affairs.
In a televised address on the Hezbollah-controlled al-Manar channel, Qassem claimed that U.S. President Donald Trump was seeking to intervene globally to undermine "democratic, Islamic and independent systems," seize financial resources and oil, and exert control over countries and their people. He described these efforts as part of a broader strategy of U.S. domination and interference.
Qassem, whose Shiite Islamist group is a key ally of Tehran, also alleged that the United States and Israel had exploited peaceful protests in Iran over economic conditions to foment unrest and chaos. He accused agents linked to U.S. and Israeli intelligence of being involved in Iran's recent unrest.
He characterized Iran as a "stronghold of resistance, freedom and support for oppressed peoples worldwide," and affirmed Hezbollah's steadfast solidarity with Tehran, its leadership, and its "revolution."
Turning to Latin America, Qassem argued that U.S. actions in Venezuela were driven by a desire to control that country's natural resources, particularly its oil. He suggested that Washington's ambitions extended beyond Venezuela to Greenland, Cuba, Canada, and the European Union, and called for a global movement to oppose U.S. foreign policy. ■
