A few days after his election as the new Iranian president, Peseschkian underlined his support for the Lebanese Hezbollah militia. He described Israel as an “illegitimate regime”.
Iran's newly elected President Massoud Peseschkian wants to stick to his country's anti-Israel policy. In a letter to the Lebanese Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, he said with regard to Israel, according to the Isna news agency: “Iran's support for the resistance front against the illegitimate Zionist regime will continue with vigor.”
He hoped that groups like Hezbollah would not allow Israel to “continue its warmongering and criminal policies against Palestine and other countries in the region,” his letter continued.
Iran is Hezbollah’s main supporter
Iran is Hezbollah's most important supporter in Lebanon. The Shiite militia is fighting against Israel politically, but also with violence. Hezbollah and the Israeli army are repeatedly fighting in the border area between Israel and Lebanon. The situation is fueling fears that the Gaza war will spread to Lebanon. The war was triggered by the massacre in Israel that left more than 1,200 people dead, which terrorists from Hamas and other extremist groups carried out.
Hezbollah leader Nasrallah congratulated Peseschkian on his election on Saturday and praised the “strong” support.
Peseschkian won a runoff election last Friday with 53.7 percent of the vote against his ultra-conservative challenger Said Jalili. Peseschkian is expected to be sworn in at the beginning of August.
How much influence does Peseschkian have?
How much influence Peseschkian will have on foreign policy depends largely on religious leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the most powerful man in the state. Despite his rather moderate rhetoric by Iranian standards, Peseschkian backed the powerful Revolutionary Guards during the election campaign and praised, for example, the drone and missile attack on Israel in April.
