BEIRUT: Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah launched a scathing attack on United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon Saturday, saying the United States was behind the leading diplomat, and said his group would cling to its weapons and the choice of resistance.

The Hezbollah leader, who spoke on occasion of Arbaeen that marks 40 days after the Ashura anniversary commemorating the killing of Imam Hussein, also urged regional powers to help end the crisis in Syria and urged the Syrian opposition to commence dialogue with Damascus.

“Yesterday, [Friday] I was pleased when I heard Ban saying he was concerned from the special power of Hezbollah. Your worries, Mr. secretary-general, comforts us and pleases us. We want you, the U.S. and Israel to be concerned,” Nasrallah said in a televised speech addressing gatherers in Baalbeck, east Lebanon.

“Our concern is that our people are comforted that there is a resistance in Lebanon and we will not allow a new occupation or another violation,” Nasrallah added.

On Syria, Nasrallah urged the opposition, both inside and outside the country, to launch dialogue with Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government.

"We ask the Syrian opposition to accept President Assad’s call for dialogue and cooperate to implement the reform he aspires,” the Hezbollah chief said.

Nasrallah also praised the neutral policy adopted by Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s government regarding unrest in Syria, saying Lebanon was the country most affected by events in its neighbor.

“We try in Lebanon to disassociate ourselves give our political situation … but we are the ones mostly affected by what is happening in Syria,” he said.