Hezbollah: Iran deal will not stop support

Iran will continue to support the Shiite militant group Hezbollah even in the wake of a nuclear deal between the Islamic republic and world powers, said the Lebanese group's leader Hassan Nasrallah on Saturday.

"Did Iran sell its allies down the river during the nuclear talks? No, there was no bargaining" between the US and Iran, the leader said during a broadcast speech.

"Iran's relationship with its allies is based on ideological grounds and comes before the political interests," Nasrallah noted.

Nasrallah's statements come on the heels of a deal reached in Vienna between Iran and the P5+1 - the US, China, France, Russia and the UK, plus Germany - that would curb the Islamic republic's nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions.

However, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei - an avid supporter of Nasrallah and the Shiite group Hezbollah - has continued to criticize the US in the wake of the deal.

"The United States is the Great Satan before and after the deal," Nasrallah said.

Blacklisted

Nasrallah also referred to the US Treasury's decision in June to blacklist three Lebanese men along with their companies for operations in Syria linked to the Shiite militant group.

"We have no investment accounts…these measures will not change things either way," Nasrallah said.

"We say this loud and clear: we receive material and financial support from the Islamic republic [Iran], and we are proud of that fact."

Hezbollah was founded in the 1980s by Iran's Guardians of the Revolution, and continue to receive material and financial support from Tehran.

In 1995, the US designated Hezbollah a terrorist group.

ls/bw (AFP, AP, Reuters)