A statement was issued by Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem, which included the following: "Praise be to God who sent us the prophets, chief among them the Messenger of God Muhammad (PBUH) with guidance and the religion of truth, and after him the infallible, good, and pure Imams of guidance, followed by the pious, chosen companions and God-fearing scholars to be all a measure of righteousness and uprightness and a role model for humanity. First: A tribute of reverence and glory to the late, great Imam Khomeini, the reviver of religion and the smasher of the might of the arrogant. God Almighty granted humanity success with the establishment of the awakening of Imam Khomeini (may God sanctify his soul) and his divine revolution in Iran, under circumstances where America was controlling Iran and its resources and colonizing many countries of the world and in our region, through tyranny and injustice, alongside the Soviet Union's control over another part of the world. This revolution started from an Islamic divine background based on the principles of truth, justice, independence, freedom of choice, Islamic unity, respect for human beings, resistance against injustice and occupation, and support for the oppressed in the world. It established the system of the Islamic Republic of Iran through a popular referendum, laid down its constitution and laws, and declared that it is neither Eastern nor Western. Imam Khomeini (may God sanctify his soul), from a religious standpoint and an intellectual and cultural choice, is one of the manifestations of the divine path for all of humanity, for whoever wants to choose the path of upright and just human life. Therefore, many popular groups in the world rushed to adopt his leadership and his divine faith-based vision, and this is a legitimate right, especially in comparison with other intellectual, materialist, or hostile choices. Neither the West nor the East allowed Iran to rest in pursuing its political experience under the leadership of Imam Khomeini (may God sanctify his soul). The arrogant waged an eight-year war against Iran using Iraqi President Saddam Hussein as a front, and with a mobilization of global and regional forces to overthrow the system of the Islamic Republic, which confronted the war with millions of sacrifices, as well as economic and international blockades, through the steadfastness of its leadership, its people, its Revolutionary Guard, its army, its leaders, and its elites. Despite all difficulties and challenges, Iran advanced on all fronts, supported liberation movements and the front of truth, and did not interfere in anyone's affairs. The pinnacle of its noble and great stances was its support for the Palestinian people to liberate their land and Jerusalem, and its support for resistance movements against the criminal Israeli occupation, which poses a danger to the entire region and indeed the entire world. Imam Khomeini is a model of the divine leader who defends truth and human dignity. In contrast is the model of tyrants from America, Israel, and others, who have spread wars, chaos, criminality, and genocide against children, women, crops, and livestock worldwide, and Gaza is a blatant model before the eyes of the world daily. Whom do we choose for glory, human dignity, and uprightness? We have the pride and unending gratitude to God Almighty that we followed Imam Khomeini as a role model in our path of life and our support for uprightness and truth. Why did America, the West, and their lackeys fight Iran for forty-seven years? Why do they blockade it? Why do they want to prevent it from possessing defensive power, which is a legitimate right for all countries? Why do they want to prevent it from peaceful uranium enrichment permitted under international law? The answer: They do not accept it as a model of uprightness, justice, and independence, but rather as subservient and harnessed to their interests and tyranny. America and the Israeli entity waged two wars against Iran, and assassinated the divine leader Imam Khamenei (may God sanctify his soul) and a number of military, political, and nuclear leaders, killed civilians and children in their schools, and destroyed civilian facilities... in clear injustice and aggression before the world, to overthrow the regime and control Iran. But they have not succeeded and will not succeed with this great Khomeini people who were raised on the path of Hussein, sacrifice, and martyrdom, and who shine, God willing, under the leadership of the righteous successor, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei (may his shadow endure). The resistance in Lebanon was inspired by the methodology and thought of Imam Khomeini (may God sanctify his soul) to liberate the land from the usurping enemy in the region, but we fight for our land and our people out of obedience to our Lord that we not be slaves to anyone, and that our generations live their lives independently in their homeland with their fellow citizens. This resistance is the planting of Imam Musa al-Sadr (may God return him safely) and the path of the master of the nation's martyrs, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah (may God be pleased with him), and it is allied with political forces and various factions that believe in the resistance and make sacrifices for its sake. Second: On the anniversary of the passing of Imam Khomeini (may God sanctify his soul), which coincides with Eid al-Ghadir and the wilayah of the Commander of the Faithful Ali (peace be upon him), the pioneer of justice and champion of truth, we review our political conditions influenced by these momentous occasions, to reaffirm the path of authenticity and truth. Thanks to Iran for helping us recover our land and our right in confronting the Israeli-American aggression despite its major confrontations. And it is addressing the establishment of a halt to the aggression and a comprehensive ceasefire in Lebanon as part of halting the aggression against Iran. The result of the direct, futile, humiliating, and disgraceful negotiations for Lebanon—which are rejected completely and in detail by wide segments of the Lebanese people—came with the Washington declaration, which outlines the basic principles that America and Israel see for Lebanon's subjugation to the Greater Israel project. For the primary goal to be the disarmament of the resistance as a starting point for any agreement means the execution of Lebanon's power, and an existential threat of annihilating its resisting people, and it is a declaration to sabotage Lebanon, keep it unstable, and instigate strife among the Lebanese for Israel's benefit, so that Israel may take politically what it could not take in war. This is impossible for anyone who wants glory, dignity, the preservation of the blood of martyrs, the wounded, and prisoners, and this great sacrificing people. We are not among those who betray the trust of the martyrs, the land, and the future of generations. The declaration is a roadmap for annihilating a section of the Lebanese people and enslaving the rest. For the security track to be under the slogan of a illusory ceasefire, interpreted as Hezbollah stopping the ceasefire, the resistance fighters leaving the arena of the South, and amid the continuation of aggression under military pressure, this is surrender, defeat, and the achievement of the enemy's goals. This is like Iblis's dream of entering paradise. We are concerned only with halting the comprehensive aggression, a ceasefire, and Israel's withdrawal. The ceasefire must be comprehensive; there is no partition between the South and the rest of Lebanon, and no freedom to kill for the Israeli enemy in Lebanon. As long as the occupation exists, the resistance continues. We have not given a commitment to anyone not to resist the aggression and respond to its hostility. As long as the aggression continues, we will confront it with all our might, and we will strike it wherever we decide and are able to. As long as our villages are unsafe, being bombed and destroyed, and our people are killed, the settlements will not be safe, and you shall witness our might and severity. The killers of the prophets will not settle on our land; we will fight the invaders until we expel them from our land and stop their aggression, relying on God's help and support, the bravery of the courageous resistance heroes, and the rallying of our great and exceptional people who have made great sacrifices which we revere, and who are steadfast in supporting the resistance and the blazing reservoir of the martyrs' blood. The Almighty said: "And do not weaken in pursuit of the enemy. If you should be suffering - then indeed they are suffering as you are suffering, while you expect from Allah that which they expect not. And Allah is ever Knowing and Wise" (Surah An-Nisa, 104). We are confident in the victory of this Husseini resistance, "And it was an obligation upon Us to aid the believers." The primary goal must be the sovereignty of Lebanon, which is achieved through the exclusive solution of stopping the Israeli aggression against Lebanon in all its forms—by air, land, and sea—withdrawing from Lebanese territory so that the army can deploy south of the Litani River, releasing prisoners, returning people to all their villages, and reconstruction. We do not accept any linkage between the presence of the resistance and the cessation of aggression and Israel's withdrawal. No one has the right to interfere in Lebanese internal affairs between the Lebanese to organize their political, economic, and social life, and their decisions upon which they agree regarding the sovereignty of their country and its protection within the national security strategy upon which they agree. We are keen on national unity in confronting the aggression, for it is a strength for us all. We hold the authorities responsible for performing their duty to address the flaw of internal Lebanese division caused by their political choices, which do not represent the national consensus of the Lebanese components, the principles of the constitution, and the formula of coexistence. The authorities are responsible for initiating measures and dialogue that lead to uniting the Lebanese in confronting the Israeli aggression against our country, for it is an aggression against all of us. It is more fitting for the sons of the country to reach an understanding to confront the aggression first, and then we will address our issues thereafter under the roof of the constitution, the Taif Agreement, citizens' unity, and coexistence. We call on officials to stop this farce and insult called direct negotiations, so that you may be stronger through the rallying of all your people around the option of the sovereign state under your administration, to which the enemies will inevitably submit."