(Reuters) – Following are reactions by regional politicians and others to the killing of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut on Friday:
IRAN’S FOREIGN MINISTRY
The ministry said in a statement that Nasrallah’s “path will continue and his goal will be realised in Jerusalem’s liberation”.
YEMEN’S IRAN-ALIGNED HOUTHIS
The group said it mourned the killing of Nasrallah, adding: “The martyrdom … will increase the strength of sacrifice … determination and continuity.”
MOHAMMED SHIA AL-SUDANI, IRAQ’S PRIME MINISTER
He said the killing of Nasrallah showed “the reckless desire to expand the conflict at the expense of all the peoples of the region and their security and stability”.
HERZI HALEVI, ISRAEL’S CHIEF OF THE GENERAL STAFF
“Nasrallah indiscriminately murdered Israeli civilians and aimed to end this war with the destruction of the State of Israel. We made sure that did not occur. We eliminated him, and we will continue to grow stronger. Hezbollah has murdered innocent people worldwide, hiding his weapons under the homes of families, women and children and turning them into human shields. As we have shown, we will not allow such a threat to our citizens. We are determined to continue destroying the Hezbollah terrorist organization and to keep fighting.”
MOQTADA EL SADR, IRAQI SHI’ITE MUSLIM POLITICIAN
He said he mourned Nasrallah as “his companion in resistance”.
GEBRAN BASSIL, LEADING LEBANESE CHRISTIAN POLITICIAN
He said he mourned the death of Nasrallah as a major loss and said it was a hard time for all Lebanese, adding: “In the face of the Israeli enemy, we have no choice but to be together as Lebanese.”
MICHEL AOUN, FORMER LEBANESE PRESIDENT
In a statement mourning Nasrallah, he referred to “the dangers our country is witnessing as a result of the ongoing Israeli aggression which requires rising to the highest level of national solidarity that protects and fortifies our unity because that is the true salvation”.
SAAD AL-HARIRI, FORMER LEBANESE PRIME MINISTER
“The assassination of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has plunged Lebanon and the region into a new phase of violence. It is a cowardly act condemned in its entirety by us, who paid dearly for the lives of our loved ones when assassination became an alternative to politics. May God have mercy on Sayyed Hassan and my sincere condolences to his family and comrades. We often disagreed with the deceased and his party and met a few times, but Lebanon was everyone’s tent. In this extremely difficult phase, our unity and solidarity remain the foundation.”
TURKISH PRESIDENT TAYYIP ERDOGAN
In a post on X after the killing of Nasrallah but which did not name him, Erdogan said he condemned recent attacks in Lebanon as part of what he called an Israeli policy of “genocide, occupation, and invasion” and said the Muslim world should show a more “determined” stance.
(Editing by Edmund Blair and Helen Popper)
