Iran’s Zarif congratulates Lebanonon 33-day war victory

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Jazad Zarif has congratulated Lebanon on the anniversary of the victory of the country in a 2006 war waged by Israel, describing the triumph as a source of pride for Muslim and freedom-seeking nations.

In two separate letters sent to Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil and Hezbollah Secretary General Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah on Sunday, Zarif congratulated them as well as the Lebanese people and government on the 10th anniversary of Lebanon’s victory in the 33-day war.

“The victory was the result of sacrifices and self-devotions made by resistance fighters from various religious and ethnic groups,” Zarif wrote in his letter to Bassil. “It was the outcome of the unity and solidarity of freedom-loving and justice-seeking political parties and movements.”

Speaking in a televised address on Sunday evening, Nasrallah said Hezbollah entered the war with Israel to safeguard the very principles of resistance. He said the Israeli military was shaken after the 2006 war.

About 1,200 Lebanese, most of them civilians, lost their lives during the 33-day war on Lebanon.

According to the 629-page Winograd Report by the Israeli regime itself, Hezbollah fighters involved in defending Lebanon against the Israeli war defeated the enemy and Tel Aviv was compelled to withdraw without having achieved any of its objectives.

UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which brokered a ceasefire in the 2006 war, calls on Israel to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.