BEIRUT: Hezbollah said Wednesday that “America’s group” in the region had launched a “fabricated, misleading” campaign against recent comments by a top Iranian general.

“For the thousandth time, it is proof of the moral and political bankruptcy” of figures who criticized statements by General Qassem Suleimani, the commander of the Al-Quds Forces of the Revolutionary Guards.

Suleimani was taken to task for saying that Iraq and south Lebanon were “subject to” the Iranian regime, but used an expression that indicated being inspired by the political thought and practice of the Islamic Republic.

“Even though the Foreign Ministry of the Islamic Republic and the Iranian ambassadors to Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan denied these statements ... the followers of Israeli-American black rooms in Lebanon and abroad continued to repeat the distorted remarks, to serve their rabid campaign,” a statement by the party said.

Hezbollah was apparently referring to a statement by the March 14 coalition earlier in the day, which expressed surprise that the Lebanese government had remained silent in the wake of Suleimani’s remarks.

Hezbollah’s statement also blamed Al-Arabiya TV for its role in broadcasting what it said were false reports on Suleimani’s statement.