Qassem says resistance not over, army has 'great role in defending Lebanon'

Hezbollah leader Sheikh Naim Qassem said the group would keep following the path of slain chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Sunday during a televised speech broadcast at his massive funeral on the outskirts of Beirut.

"We will uphold trust and walk on this path, we will uphold your will," Qassem said referring to Nasrallah, adding: "you are still with us: your... path and struggle live within us" and "I am loyal to the legacy Nasrallah".

"We open fire when we see that appropriate and we practice patience when we see that appropriate and the resistance will continue," Qassem added.

"We believe in the army's great role in defending Lebanon and I tell the hotheads that there are no winners or losers inside Lebanon," he said.

He also said that "tyrant America" should not be allowed to "control Lebanon."

"You will not gain through politics what you failed to gain in war," he said, adding: "the resistance is not over, the resistance is still present and ready" to face Israel.

Earlier this month, U.S. Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus said the group was "defeated by Israel", declaring "the end of Hezbollah's reign of terror".

Qassem said: "Know this Americans, if... you try to pressure officials and Lebanon, you will not be able to achieve your goals," adding "officials in Lebanon know the balance of powers."

"Do not interpret our patience and wisdom in assessing priorities as weakness," he warned.

Long the dominant force in Lebanese politics, Hezbollah suffered staggering losses in a war with Israel that saw Nasrallah, its leader of more than three decades, killed in a massive air strike in September.

Hezbollah suffered another seismic blow with the ouster on December 8 of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, which it had long used as its weapons lifeline from Iran.

After more than two years of political stalemate, the weakening of Hezbollah allowed former army chief Joseph Aoun, widely believed to be Washington's preferred candidate, to be elected president and Nawaf Salam approved as his premier.