We are children of Khomeini and Khamenei, Hezbollah chief says

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem on Sunday reaffirmed the group’s allegiance to Iran’s leadership, in a video broadcast during the funeral of the group's assassinated leader Hassan Nasrallah.

“We are the children of Khomeini and Khamenei,” Qassem said in a video message saying the group's struggle is guided by the ideology of Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

In the video broadcast aired during the funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and his deputy Hashem Safieddine in Beirut, both killed by Israel, he also vowed that the Iran-backed militant group would not abandon its fight.

“We will not abandon the resistance, even if our homes collapse on our heads," he said, after the group suffered its worst losses in its history last year.

Israel eliminated hundreds of the group's militants and the top echelons of its leadership, all the way to the long-time leader, Nasrallah.

Israel also destroyed swathes of the group's infrastructure during a wave of targeted strikes before the current ceasefire began in November.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei also issued a message for Nasrallah’s funeral, honoring him as a pioneering leader of the resistance whose legacy will endure.

Khamenei also praised Safieddine as a vital figure in Lebanon’s resistance, offering prayers for them and all the group's fallen fighters.

“The resistance against usurpation and oppression will continue until its goals are achieved," he added.