TEHRAN — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has sent separate messages to his Lebanese counterpart and secretary-general of the Hezbollah movement to congratulate them on the anniversary of the country’s victory in its 33-day war against the Israeli aggressors.

Zarif, who is in Beirut on an official visit, offered congratulations to the Lebanese nation and government in his separate messages to Foreign Minister Charbel Wehbe and Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the Foreign Ministry website reported.

Zarif has travelled to Lebanon for a series of meetings following the recent tragic blast that killed more than 200 people in Beirut.

August 14 marks the fourteenth anniversary of the end of Israel’s 33-day war on Lebanon. The war that began with Israeli airstrikes against Lebanese cities in July 2006, resulted in the demolition of vital infrastructure and the death of over 1,000 innocent people.

In 2000 and 2006, the Israeli regime launched two wars on Lebanon. About 1,200 Lebanese, most of them civilians, were killed in the 33-Day War of 2006.

On both occasions, however, Hezbollah fighters defeated the Israeli forces and Tel Aviv was forced to retreat without achieving any of its objectives.

The conflict in 2006, also known as the July War, took place in Lebanon, northern parts of Occupied Palestine and the Golan Heights.

It started in July 2006, and continued until a United Nations-brokered ceasefire went into effect in the morning on August 14 that year, though it formally ended on September 8 when Israel lifted its naval blockade of Lebanon.

MH/PA