TEHRAN – Major General Mohsen Rezaei, former chief commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) and current secretary of Iran’s Expediency Council, stated that Iran and the broader Resistance Front are "on the verge of a great victory" that could lead to the expulsion of the United States and its allies from the West Asia region.

Rezaei made these remarks during a news conference held in Lorestan on Sunday, coinciding with Sacred Defense Week, a commemoration of Iran's resistance during the eight-year Iran-Iraq War.

Rezaei highlighted that Iran is entering a new era, drawing upon the lessons of the Sacred Defense era against Iraq’s Ba'athist regime. "This victory will be significant because West Asia will be liberated from the clutches of Western powers," he declared, suggesting that Western influence in the region is nearing its end.

During his remarks, Rezaei emphasized that Iran has consistently sought to avoid war, but cited provocative actions by the Israeli regime, such as the assassination of a high-ranking Iranian guest in Tehran, as acts that demand a response. 

He warned that while Iran remains resistant to foreign aggression, it must be vigilant in the face of attempts by external powers to draw the nation into armed conflict.

Rezaei also spoke on the broader geopolitical landscape, accusing the United States and Israel of trying to provoke a regional war by targeting Iran through their actions in Lebanon. He stressed that Iran, along with its allies in the Resistance Front, would not allow Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to move unchallenged in the region.

In a separate message posted on his social media account on X (formerly Twitter), Rezaei commented on the strength of the Lebanese Hezbollah, stating that the group’s manpower is "almost inexhaustible." 

His remarks came after Hezbollah launched an attack on the Rafael weapons manufacturing facility in Haifa, Israel, in what was described as an "initial response" to recent Israeli military actions in Lebanon. 

"Hezbollah is a model of innovation and resilience. The depth of its manpower will not be exhausted for the next hundred years," Rezaei said, praising the group’s ability to withstand Israeli military pressure over decades.

Hezbollah said that it targeted Israeli military industry complexes north of Haifa with rockets, including Fadi 1, Fadi 2, and Katyusha models. The group stated that the attack is both a gesture of solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza and a response to Israeli strikes in Lebanon, which resulted in the deaths of 42 people and left thousands injured due to explosive devices targeting telecommunications infrastructure.

Hezbollah has vowed continued retaliation, particularly as Israel's military operations intensify in both Gaza and Lebanon.