(AFP) – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Hezbollah in a statement Sunday of trying to plunge Lebanon “back into chaos.” Rubio denounced what he called Hezbollah’s “reckless call to overthrow Lebanon’s democratically elected government” and said the pro-Iran armed group was “actively trying to drag Lebanon back into chaos and destruction.”
Naim Qassem, the leader of Hezbollah, said earlier that “the people have the right to go down onto the streets and to bring down the government” in response to Israeli strikes and US sanctions on the Al-Qard Al-Hassan financial institution. Al-Qard Al-Hassan is affiliated with Hezbollah and provides interest-free loans to mainly Shia Muslim communities who have faced financial difficulty amid Lebanon’s economic crises. “The aggression against Al-Qard al-Hassan is an aggression against hundreds of thousands of poor people and those with limited income,” Qassem said.
The Lebanese government has been under US pressure to take action against the firm, as Washington ratchets up pressure on Iran-backed Hezbollah. “Hizballah’s threats of violence and overthrow will not be allowed to succeed,” Rubio said. “The era in which a terrorist group held an entire nation hostage is coming to an end.”
The US is negotiating a deal with Iran to end the Middle East war, with a report in Axios suggesting that a draft memorandum of understanding between two sides contains language that “makes clear the war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon would end.” Early on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on X that Trump, in a phone call, “reaffirmed Israel’s right to defend itself against threats on every front, including Lebanon.”
Qassem expressed hope for an agreement between Iran and the US and that Lebanon would be part of its terms. However, he again called on the Lebanese government to abandon direct negotiations with Israel. A fourth round of talks is scheduled for June 2 and 3 in Washington.
Despite a ceasefire that came into effect on April 17 and was recently extended for several weeks, Israel continues to strike what it describes as pro-Iranian Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, while Hezbollah for its part continues its attacks on Israeli targets in the south of the country.
© 2024 AFP
