Hezbollah unveiled massive statue of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani on Israeli border

Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah group unveiled a statue on slain Iranian commander Gen. Qasem Soleimani in southern Lebanon on Saturday.

The statue, which some contend is actually a cardboard cutout, depicts the deceased Quds Force commander pointing towards Israel.

Hundreds looked on as the statue was unveiled in the town of Maroun al-Ras, cheering as a red cloth which covered it was pulled down. Footage of the ceremony was shown on Iranian state media, including by the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

The statue is understood to symbolise Hezbollah and Iran’s stated intention of liberating Palestine from Israeli occupation.

While some Lebanese celebrated the footage of the unveiling on social media, for others it was a stark reminder of Iran’s influence in the country through Hezbollah.

Just weeks before Soleimani’s killing in a US drone strike in Iraq last month, a special advisor to the commander of the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps threatened to raze Tel Aviv to the ground from Lebanon, angering officials in Beirut.

Iranian involvement in the affairs of Middle Eastern states, including Lebanon and Iraq, have come under the spotlight, with many some calling for Tehran to end its alleged interference.

Source: Alaraby