Nasrallah denies Hezbollah seeking to destroy or control Lebanon Banks

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah on Monday denied his party is seeking to “destroy” Lebanon’s banking sector and accusations that his party is playing a role in the dollar shortage crisis.

“We don’t want to destroy, control, topple or take revenge on the banking sector and there are attempts to distort Hezbollah’s stance on banks,” Nasrallah said in a televised address.

“Defending people aggrieved by the banking sector is not an attack on the banking sector,” he noted.

“Don’t be American more than Americans themselves,” Nasrallah added, addressing banks.

Nasrallah also stressed that his party “does not want to control the central bank’s governorship.”

Addressing the controversy over the dollar exchange rate, he said his party “has nothing to do with the money exchange sector”, but admitted that ” there might be money changers who are supporters of Hezbollah”, but denied his group is providing “cover to any money exchange shop.”

He also denied recent rumors and media reports abut his party’s role in the shortage of dollars:

“We are not collecting dollars or sending them to Syria or Iran. We are bringing dollars into the country and we are not sending them abroad.”

Addressing the government’s request for assistance from the International Monetary Fund, Nasrallah aid that, in principle, Hezbollah is not against Lebanon requesting assistance from any side in the world, “except for Lebanon’s enemies who are known.”

“We’re not against requesting assistance from the IMF but surrendering to it is rejected and the government must hold talks to know the conditions,” he said.

Addressing critics of PM Diab’s cabinet, Nasrallah called for giving it a chance and more time.

“One cannot ask it for miracles in 100 days in light of the difficulties and circumstances,” he said and denied his party is playing a divisive role among the political parties

“We do not want problems or tensions in the country and we want to rescue it. We call for calm in the bilateral relations between political forces,” he stressed