'Iran doesn't dictate Hezbollah's actions'
Hezbollah Chief Nasrallah admits Shiite group gets 'spiritual, political and material assistance from Iran,' but stresses it makes its own decisions
Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah admitted Thursday that Iran and Syria have supported the Shiite militant group, but insisted that "Iran doesn't dictate Hezbollah's actions."
Nasrallah spoke during a ceremony marking the birthday of Prophet Muhammad and Islamic Unity Week.
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"I don't believe Israel will attack Iranian nuclear facilities, but of it does… the Iranian leadership won't ask Hezbollah for anything and won't dictate anything. We will have to think and decided what to do on our own."
Nasrallah further said that "Iran supports the resistance movements in Palestine and Lebanon and asks for nothing in return, since this is a religious obligation.
"We get spiritual, political and material assistance from Iran. The resistance movement that won the Second Lebanon War could not have done so without Iran's help, but they can't dictate anything," he said.
Hezbollah's leader also addressed the bloodshed in Syria, cementing once again his allegiance to Syrian President Bashar Assad.
He dismissed the reports of a massacre in Homs: "We looked into those reports. Nothing happened there. The timing of those reports – just before the debate in the UN Security Council wasn’t based on facts. It was an attempt to use the media.
"The reality in Syria today is that the regime is still in power and it has an army and a constitution. There are many people who support the regime… so the assumption that the people don't support (Assad) is not true."
The regime, he added, "Has opposition. Parts of that opposition are armed and there are some armed conflicts in various parts across Syria. But the majority of Syria enjoys stability," he said.
Nasrallah stressed that Assad was interested in launching a dialogue with the Opposition over the reform it demands.
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