‘United States Must Pay The Price!’ Hezbollah Leader Lauds Hamas ‘Holy War’ While Denying Involvement, Threatens American Troops

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah gave a speech by remote broadcast on Friday in which he praised the “holy war” against Israel and the “martyrs” of the October 7 terror attack at length while denying profusely any prior knowledge or involvement, and during which he threatened action against the United States and Israel over the IDF’s response in Gaza.

Nasrallah’s jingoistic, nearly two-hour propaganda speech, which was carried in its entirety on Qatar-based Al Jazeera, was riddled with falsehoods and conspiracy theories, as well as profuse praise for the murders, rapes, and kidnappings that took place on October 7 — while also making a point repeatedly of saying that Hezbollah was surprised by the attack, had no foreknowledge of it, and was not involved. Hezbollah has long been labeled a terrorist organization by the U.S. and Europe for its deliberate targeting of civilians.

That “doth protest too much” distancing, offset in rhetorical flourishes about martyrs and righteousness, was joined together with his repeating that it was truly a Palestinian cause and not a greater regional or Iran-involved one. Though it could become that, he warned, making specific threats against American troops, bases, and ships.

“We all must establish this fact: The United States is totally responsible for the war raging in Gaza against unarmed, defenseless people,” he said, as translated by Al Jazeera. “It is the United States that vetoes condemnation of Israel in the Security Council and the United States that stands in the way of a ceasefire in Gaza.”

He called America the Great Satan and invoked Vietnam, the Iraq War, the Afghanistan war and withdrawal, and the bombing of Hiroshima, and said America must be held liable and punished.

“It is the United States that must pay the price for the crimes perpetrated by the Israelis in Gaza and by the Americans in Iraq and elsewhere,” he said.

Here’s more from The Times of Israel:

If an all-out war breaks out, you Americans will pay with your ships, your aircrafts and your soldiers,” he threatens.

“Remember your defeats in Lebanon and Iraq, and your humiliating withdrawal from Afghanistan. Those who defeated you in Lebanon in the 1980s are still alive and their children and grandchildren are ready to face you,” he claims.

“Your fleet in the Mediterranean do not scare us… We are ready to face the fleet you threaten us with,” Nasrallah says, addressing the US. “Whoever wants to prevent a regional war must quickly stop the aggression on Gaza,” he added.

With the clear intent of sowing Western discontent with Israel taking action against Hamas, Narallah repeatedly used the term “ceasefire” in a speech during which he also repeatedly praised, celebrated, and called for more bloodshed. He decried the deaths of civilians in Gaza while promising more civilian deaths in Israel. He demanded a halt to military action by Israel while encouraging more “resistance” by terror groups against Israel. And those threats included specifically his own domain.

“What is happening now along the Israeli-Lebanese border is significant, and it is not the end,” he vowed despite his “ceasefire” shout-out.

Watch the clip above, via Al Jazeera.