Beirut: Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem announced on Thursday that the Lebanese-based group firmly supports Iran amid rising hostilities with Israel. Qassem emphasized that Hezbollah "is not neutral and stands alongside Iran" in the ongoing conflict.

According to Anadolu Agency, Qassem released a statement on Telegram, asserting that Hezbollah and the Islamic Resistance support Iran's legitimate rights and independence. He criticized America, Israel, and other powerful nations, referring to Israel as a "cancerous tumor." Qassem stated, "We stand with Iran in facing this global injustice because we stand for our independence, the liberation of our land, and the freedom of our decisions and choices."

Qassem further elaborated that Hezbollah will align with Iran, its leadership, and its people, and will respond "appropriately" to what he termed as "brutal Israeli-American aggression." The conflict escalated last Friday when Israel initiated airstrikes on several Iranian sites, including military and nuclear facilities, which led Tehran to launch retaliatory strikes.

Israeli authorities have reported that at least 25 people have been killed and hundreds injured due to Iranian missile attacks. Concurrently, Iranian media reports indicate that 639 people have been killed and more than 1,300 wounded in the Israeli assault.