US Warns Hezbollah Against Joining Iran-Israel Conflict

Post by : Bianca Suleiman

Photo: Reuters

A top US official visited Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, on Thursday and gave a strong warning to Hezbollah. He said the group should not get involved in the ongoing war between Iran and Israel. He warned that joining the conflict would be a “very bad decision.”

The US official, Thomas Barrack, is the special envoy for Syria and also serves as the ambassador to Turkiye. He met with several leaders in Lebanon, including Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. Berri is known to be close to Hezbollah.

When reporters asked Barrack what could happen if Hezbollah entered the war, he answered by saying, “I can say on behalf of President Trump, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, that it would be a very, very, very bad decision.”

Right now, Iran and Israel are attacking each other, and the United States is trying to keep Lebanon from getting pulled into the fight. The US has been pushing Lebanon to make sure Hezbollah, a powerful armed group, gives up its weapons and follows state rules.

Hezbollah has strongly criticized Israel’s strikes on Iran and said they fully support Iran’s leaders. On Thursday, they warned that any threats to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, would lead to serious consequences.

Still, Hezbollah has not directly threatened to attack Israel. A Hezbollah official told Reuters that the group would not start an attack even though Israel hit Iran.

Hezbollah was seriously weakened after fighting Israel last year. The group lost many of its leaders and fighters. Many of their key bases in southern Lebanon and near Beirut were also destroyed.

That war ended with a peace deal brokered by the US. One of the key points in that deal was that only the Lebanese government should control weapons in the country.

During his visit, Barrack also met Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. They spoke about the need for the Lebanese state to be the only authority in charge of weapons.

Thomas Barrack is also known for being a private business leader. He has been a longtime advisor to former President Donald Trump and helped organize Trump’s presidential inauguration in 2016. He was named ambassador to Turkiye and recently took on the job of special envoy to Syria.