US, Israel, Saudi Arabia culprits in assassinating Iran’s General Soleimani: Nasrallah

The leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah resistance movement, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, says Saudi Arabia is hand in gloves with the US regime of President Donald Trump and Israel in the assassination of Iran’s top commander, Lt. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, deputy commander of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, and their companions, noting that the trio seek to kill other commanders of the resistance front.

Nasrallah made the remarks in an exclusive interview with al-Mayadeen television network on Sunday, during which he reflected on major regional and international developments as well as domestic issues of Lebanon.

“The criminal assassination of General Soleimani was not only an American crime, but I believe that Israel and Saudi Arabia were culprits in this crime as well, even if their role was just to provoke Washington to commit it,” the Hezbollah leader said.

Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), and his Iraqi trenchmate Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy head of the Popular Mobilization Units, were assassinated along with their companions in a US terror drone strike authorized by Trump near Baghdad International Airport on January 3.

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Iraqi lawmakers approved a bill two days later, demanding the withdrawal of all foreign military forces led by the United States from the country.

Both commanders were admired by Muslim nations for eliminating the US-sponsored Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in the region, particularly in Iraq and Syria.

The US assassination drew a wave of condemnation from officials and movements throughout the world, and triggered huge public protests across the region.

Early on January 8, the IRGC targeted the US-run Ain al-Assad air base in Iraq’s western province of Anbar after launching a wave of attacks to retaliate the assassination of Lt. Gen. Soleimani.

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The cowardly act of terror was carried out under the direction of Donald Trump, with the Pentagon taking responsibility for the strike.

According to the US Defense Department, more than 100 American forces suffered “traumatic brain injuries” during the counterstrike on the base. The IRGC, however, says Washington uses the term to mask the number of the Americans who perished during the retaliation.

Iran has described the missile attack on Ain al-Assad air base as a “first slap.”

Elsewhere in his interview, Hezbollah leader noted that in addition to General Soleimani and his companions, other commanders of the resistance front, himself included, were on the joint hit list drawn up by the US, Israel and Saudi Arabia.

He added that according to information received from reliable sources, during his first visit to Washington, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had tried to goad Trump into authorizing assassination of Hezbollah commanders and its senior officials through Israeli operations.

“We have information that Saudi Arabia has been plotting to assassinate me at least since the war on Yemen started,” Hezbollah leader said, adding that the US, for its part, has approved the Saudi plan, which was to be implemented by Israel.

When asked about whether such plan would be wise and logical by Saudi Arabia, Nasrallah emphasized that Saudi Arabia, specifically in the last few years, has been acting on the basis of grudge, not thoughtfulness.

He added that the US, Israel, and Saudi Arabia are partners in the assassination of Iran’s top commander, Soleimani, and deputy commander of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

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Asked whether he must exercise more caution during last days of Trump in power lest he might take a serious measure against the resistance front, Nasrallah noted that all evidence points to the fact that the media hype launched by Zionists about this issue proves that there is no reality behind this.

Nasrallah added that he has always been a target for the common axis of the US, Israel and Saudi Arabia both before and after the assassination of Lt. Gen. Soleimani, adding that efforts made in this regard become more intense before the recent US presidential election because Trump needed its impact on US polls.

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