"Dead in the United States!" Shouted Hezbollah supporters, gathered on the first Sunday in January, in the southern suburbs of Beirut, the stronghold of the Lebanese Shiite party. The thousands of participants who came to pay a final tribute to General Soleimani, killed in an American strike in Baghdad, are divided between anger and sadness. "I say to Trump and his allies: 'It will be your last breath'. Soleimani has handed the torch to us. We will avenge him and we will continue his work in the region," one of the participants told France 24.
For the past two decades, Qassem Soleimani has been involved in Iran's foreign and military policy in the Middle East, and Hezbollah owes him some of its military successes. The general had notably overseen the response of the Shiite militia to the Israeli invasion in southern Lebanon in 2006. He has since been a figure much appreciated by the Shiite community in the country.
Hassan Nasrallah calls for revenge
In his speech on Sunday, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said that Donald Trump's policies in Iran and the Middle East were a total failure. He accused the American president of having assassinated Qassem Soleimani to win votes during the next presidential election and called for revenge.
"When they see the coffins of the American soldiers and generals who have arrived vertically and who return horizontally home, Trump and his administration will realize that they have lost the region and the elections," said Hassan Nasrallah.
As Iran promises revenge, Hezbollah finds itself caught between a lack of resources and its loyalty to the Iranian regime. For several years, Iran has trained Hezbollah fighters. It also injected funds into southern Lebanon, where a majority of Shiites are found. But money is scarce as the Iranian economy sinks.
Internally, Hezbollah must fight to preserve its influence and identity after several weeks of demonstrations against the government which have attracted many Shiites. But the crowd gathered Sunday during this tribute to General Soleimani suggests that in the event of an escalation, the Lebanese Shiite community will undoubtedly support the Islamic Republic.
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