The leader of the Lebanese militia Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah said on Saturday that his group receives full financial and arms support from Iran, in response to a recent probe into Hezbollah’s bank accounts by the government. Nasrallah said in a speech that his group’s finances did not come from banks and that money was provided by Iran. “The same we have received rockets to threaten Israel we have received money,” he said, according to Hezbollah’s media outlets. The Shiite militia leader was speaking at a ceremony marking 40 days since the death of Mustafah Bedreddine, a top Hezbollah commander in the Syrian capital Damascus. Bedreddine was in charge of the group’s military units and operations in neighboring Syria. Iran has long been seen as the main backer of the Lebanese militia group and accused in the meantime of deep interference in that country’s affairs through Hezbollah. Since the start of the Syrian civil war Hezbollah has been fighting alongside government forces against rebel groups, which Nasrallah described in his speech as “the defense of Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan.” Nasrallah also denounced the Syria ceasefire, saying, “Who has benefited from a ceasefire? I tell you it is those who have brought large numbers of fighters into Syria.” The Hezbollah leader downplayed the number of his group’s casualties in Syria. But reports indicate that scores of Hezbollah fighters have been killed including four prominent commanders, since early 2015.
