Nasrallah urges domestic presidency solution, says keen on FPM ties

Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Tuesday stressed that “domestic” dialogue must be held to agree on a new president for the country and that Hezbollah is keen on resolving the "dispute" with the Free Patriotic Movement through “communication.”

In a televised speech marking the third anniversary of the assassination of top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi militant commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, Nasrallah also stressed that the Lebanese presidential file has nothing to do with the nuclear talks with Iran or the Iranian-Saudi talks.

“Further meetings and dialogue must be held and do not wait for the foreign forces,” Nasrallah added, addressing the Lebanese parties.

He also reiterated that it is Hezbollah’s “natural right” to call for a president who “would not stab the resistance in its back.”

“A president who would not stab the resistance would mean a president who would not take the country to civil war,” Nasrallah noted.

As for the latest tensions with the FPM, which are unprecedented in the history of the relation between the two allies, Nasrallah emphasized Hezbollah’s keenness on the ties between the two parties.

“Whatever the ambiguities, they can be addressed through direct dialogue,” he said.

“Some of our allies and friends criticize us in public, but we don't do that and we prefer internal dialogue,” he pointed out.

And noting that Hezbollah does not “force” any party to be its ally or friend, Nasrallah revealed that meetings will be held soon with the FPM in a bid to repair the relation.

Turning to the developments in the region and Benjamin Netanyahu’s return to power in Israel, Nasrallah said: “We will not tolerate any change to the rules of engagement” between Lebanon and Israel.

“We tried Netanyahu for a long time and we do not fear him,” Nasrallah said, describing the new Israeli government as a group of “corrupts, criminals and extremists.”

Commenting on the storming of the al-Aqsa mosque compound by an Israeli minister earlier in the day, Nasrallah said: “I want to add the voice of the resistance in Lebanon to the voice of the resistance in Palestine to say that harm against al-Aqsa might blow up the entire region.”

“If you do not want another war in the region, you must rein in those crazy officials in Israel,” Nasrallah added, addressing the international community.

As for the flurry of reports about his health after his Friday speech was called off, Nasrallah, who coughed and had a hoarse voice throughout his speech, noted that he has had “trachea allergy” for the past 30 years.

“I apologize for making you worry,” he told supporters.

“After what was said in the Israeli and Gulf media, I would like to reassure you that there is no need to worry at all,” he added.