Top Lebanese Leader Ridicules Trump for Loss

Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Lebanon’s Hizbullah organization, mocked United States President Donald Trump for his “humiliating downfall” in the US presidential elections during a speech the bunkered-down leader gave on Wednesday. Nasrallah derided the “arrogant” outgoing administration as “among the worst, if not the worst” in American history, while also conceding that President-elect Joe Biden will most likely not dramatically change US policies in the region. The Lebanese leader cautioned his people of any last-minute aggressive actions President Trump might take in the Middle East, insisting his group – which is designated a terror organization by the US, the European Union and Israel – and its ally Iran were prepared to respond with gusto. Hizbullah is a dominant political entity in Lebanon, holding much sway over parliament and government decisions. It also operates its own military – much more powerful than Beirut’s national one – which is supplied and trained by Iranian forces. The US along with European allies have imposed crippling sanctions on the group and its proxies in government in an ongoing attempt to weaken the chokehold it currently has on Lebanon’s institutions.