Iran drawing US-Israeli enmity because it blocks ‘Greater Israel’ scheme: Hezbollah official

Sheikh Ali Damoush, head of Hezbollah’s Executive Council, said on Saturday that Washington and Zionist regime are targeting the Islamic Republic also because of its “Islamic and revolutionary nature.”

“The enmity of America and the Zionist regime, and their attempts to strike the Islamic Republic of Iran, are due to its Islamic-revolutionary identity,” he said.

Damoush added that Iran has been singled out because it remains the only country firmly positioned in the axis of confrontation against the Israeli occupation.

He also warned of efforts to drag the region into a new conflict. A war against Iran today, he said, “would benefit Israel before it benefits America.”

The remarks come amid increasing US military threats against Iran in recent weeks, despite the beginning of a new round of indirect talks focused on Iran’s nuclear issue and the termination of US sanctions in Oman.

According to Damoush, Tel Aviv has been trying to derail negotiations between Tehran and Washington and has been seeking pretexts to ignite a war.

Turning to the idea of so-called “Greater Israel,” Damoush said Iran and the Axis of Resistance have blocked Israeli expansionism and prevented the realization of the conspiracy.

“The realization of this project and enabling this regime to dominate the region has one key path: the elimination of Iran and its regional allies. However, they stand in the way of Israel,” he said.

The term “Greater Israel” has resurfaced in Israeli political discourse in recent years. In August last year, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Israeli media he felt a deep connection to “this vision,” referring to Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories as well as parts of Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, and described it as “a historical and spiritual mission.” The remarks drew strong condemnation from several regional countries.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Damoush addressed Lebanon’s internal dynamics. He described resistance as the source of Lebanon’s strength and deterrence against Israel over the past 30 years.

“Everyone must know that our people will not surrender and remain determined to secure all their rights,” he said.

He added that resistance is a legitimate right and “a symbol of Lebanon’s dignity and pride,” insisting that no one, regardless of position, can eliminate it or strip it of its legitimacy.