Washington raised the level of its rhetoric towards Hezbollah and its Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem, as a US State Department official made a series of direct accusations against the party and its leadership, coinciding with the US State Department’s emphasis on the necessity of disarming and dismantling the party, and the Lebanese army continuing its operations in the first experimental areas.
The US State Department official said that Naim Qassem is “a man who receives his orders from Iranian authorities,” adding that he “runs a terrorist organization that has turned Lebanon into an Iranian forward operations base.”
The official considered that Hezbollah represents “the main obstacle to the recovery of Lebanon’s economy,” indicating that Washington sees the party’s continued influence as a factor obstructing the path of economic recovery.
He added that Hezbollah is “Lebanon’s only stain internationally and the greatest threat to its security and stability,” in a position that reflects increasing American tightening regarding the party’s role within Lebanon and its relationship with Iran.
In a more direct position regarding the future of the party’s weapons, the US State Department official said, “Hezbollah must be disarmed and dismantled.”
In parallel, the US State Department announced that it looks forward to the Lebanese Army completing “clearance operations in the first experimental areas,” within the framework of the path related to strengthening the authority of the Lebanese state over its territory.
These positions come in light of the continued American pressure on Hezbollah, in parallel with the focus on the issue of restricting weapons to the Lebanese state and strengthening the authority of official institutions, at a time when the party’s role and its relationship with Tehran remain at the core of the American approach towards Lebanon.
