Beirut (AFP) - Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, in a rare public appearance Wednesday, argued that failure to strike a deal with ally Iran over its nuclear programme would spell "war in the region."
Nasrallah, who normally appears via video link for fear of assassination by arch-enemy Israel, spoke in Hezbollah's southern Beirut stronghold to mark the Shiite Muslim Ashura holiday.
World powers failed to reach an agreement with Iran over the weekend to curb its controversial nuclear programme in exchange for some relief from crippling sanctions despite high-profile, marathon talks in Geneva.
The West and Israel have long suspected Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapons capability alongside its civilian programme, allegations fiercely denied by Tehran.
Iran, along with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime, is a close ally of Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shiite movement with a powerful military wing.
