"Hezbollah" is Lebanon's best defense against Israel. This was stated on Thursday by the supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, quoted by AFP.
"Hezbollah is the strongest defender of Lebanon and the strongest shield against the greed of the Zionist regime, which has long sought the disintegration of Lebanon," the Iranian head of state said in a statement.
Khamenei's statement was a reaction to Hezbollah's confirmation on Wednesday of the death of Hashem Safieddin, who was expected to lead the movement after the death of Hassan Nasrallah. They were killed in separate Israeli bombings.
Since September 23, Israel has launched a series of strikes against Hezbollah strongholds, particularly around the capital Beirut, and launched ground operations in southern Lebanon.
At least 1,552 people have been killed in the country, according to an AFP count based on official sources. The UN says around 800,000 have been displaced. According to other figures, over 2,500 people have died and 1.2 million have been forced from their homes.
Meanwhile, a new Israeli airstrike was launched against the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon. This happened soon after Israel issued evacuation warnings.
Early Thursday morning, Israel attacked "Hezbollah" in a suburb of Beirut.
France hosted an international conference on Lebanon in Paris, which raised about US$1 billion.
"The war must end as soon as possible, there must be a ceasefire in Lebanon," French President Emmanuel Macron said.
Macron called on "Hezbollah" to stop his "provocations" and reminded Israel that in Lebanon its past "military successes do not necessarily mean victory".