Reply to Hezbollah Leader Sheikh Naim Qassem

This is a translation of the original Persian text. Original text in Persian

بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

To my dear brother and fellow mujahid, His Eminence Sheikh Naim Qassem, Secretary-General of Hezbollah «ادام الله عمره وعزّه وعافيته» (may God prolong his life, his honor, and his well-being)

سلام علیکم و رحمة الله و برکاته
Peace be upon you, and the mercy and blessings of God.
Your message of condolence on the martyrdom of the great Leader of the Islamic Revolution, as well as the expression of love and affection from our mujahid Lebanese brothers in Hezbollah, has reached me.

Without any doubt, steadfastness, resistance, and patience in the face of the most implacable enemies of the Islamic world — namely America and its proxy force in the region, the bloodthirsty Zionist regime — were among the most prominent qualities of the martyred Imam and Leader. This resistance and perseverance continued throughout the many years of that great leader’s leadership, and the offering of precious martyrs such as Hajj Qasem Soleimani and other senior commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Army is the greatest testimony to the rightness of this path.

There is no doubt that the history of the Islamic Resistance is replete with struggle, courage, and the pursuit of martyrdom; the commanders of the Resistance sacrificed their lives on this path before the other fighters, without fearing any threat. From the martyr Sheikh Ragheb Harb and Sayyid Abbas Mousavi to the dear martyr, the Master of the Martyrs of the Resistance, Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah, and Sayyid Hashem Safieddine, all were examples of this path and approach.

You, who have yourself been on the front line of this blessed Resistance in Lebanon, are today leading this movement at this sensitive and historic moment. Knowing your prudence, intelligence, and courage as I do, I hope that you will be able to thwart the plans of the Zionist enemy, crush them, and once again let the dear nation of Lebanon taste tranquility and honor.

Once again, I emphatically declare that the firm policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in continuation of the path of the late Imam and the martyred Leader, rests on continued support for the Resistance against the Zionist-American enemy.

Once again, I thank you for your expression of sympathy, and I wish you and all our dear mujahid brothers success and honor.

والسلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
Peace be upon you, and the mercy and blessings of God.

Sayyid Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei
Farvardin 10, 1405 SH, corresponding to Shawwal 10, 1447 AH