Tasnim � Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani congratulated the Lebanese nation and government on the anniversary of the liberation of its southern regions from Israeli occupation back in 2000.

In a message on Thursday, Shamkhani restated Tehran�s support for the Lebanese government and nation, congratulated them on the occasion, and said, �Undoubtedly, Hezbollah is the strongest supporter of Lebanon�s security and like a fortress has stood against the Zionist regime�s greed and opportunism�.

Lauding the Lebanese army and Hezbollah forces for expelling Israelis from southern areas of Lebanon back in 2000, he said, �The power of faith will foil all evil plots�.

Every year in May, Lebanon commemorates the anniversary of the Israeli withdrawal from its southern territories, known as Resistance and Liberation Day.

Hezbollah forces pushed the Israeli troops out of the southern parts of Lebanon on May 25, 2000, after more than two decades of occupation.

The national holiday in Lebanon is seen as a turning point that changed the regional equations and debunked the myth of Israel�s invincibility.