The leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah says his militia is not deterred by U.S. warnings to stay out of the Israel-Hamas war. In a televised speech Friday, Hassan Nasrallah referred to U.S. military deployments in the region, saying “your fleets in the Mediterranean … will not scare us.” He said that Hezbollah is prepared for all options. Nasrallah says his militia is engaged in unprecedented cross-border fighting with Israel, threatens escalation.
Quick Read
- Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, asserts they are unfazed by U.S. warnings amid the Israel-Hamas conflict.
- Nasrallah dismisses the intimidation factor of U.S. military presence in the Mediterranean.
- Hezbollah claims readiness for all potential scenarios and engages in cross-border combat with Israel.
- Nasrallah acknowledges that a broader Middle East conflict is a realistic possibility.
- Hezbollah, backed by Iran, is in its most intense conflict with Israel since the 2006 war.
- Actions by Hezbollah are strategically keeping Israeli forces tied up near the Lebanese border.
- The Hezbollah leader assigns blame to the United States for the conflict in Gaza and resultant civilian casualties.
- He emphasizes the importance of de-escalation in Gaza to prevent regional war.
- Nasrallah thanks allied groups in Yemen and Iraq, signaling a united “Axis of Resistance” against U.S. interests in the region.
The Associated Press has the story:
Hezbollah leader: Wider Middle East conflict ‘realistic possibility’
Newslooks- BEIRUT, (AP)
Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, speaking for the first time since the Israel-Hamas war erupted, warned on Friday that a wider conflict in the Middle East was a realistic possibility in a speech that was expected to indicate whether his group would wage a full-fledged war against Israel.
A formidable military force backed by Iran, Hezbollah has been engaging Israeli forces along the Lebanon-Israel border in the deadliest escalation since it fought a war with Israel in 2006.
Hezbollah have been escalating day by day, forcing Israel to keep its forces near the Lebanese border instead of the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, Nasrallah said in a televised address.
“What’s happening on the border might seem modest but is very important.”
Nasrallah blamed the United States for for the war in Gaza and the high civilian death toll and that a de-escalation in the besieged enclave was vital to prevent regional war.
The Hezbollah chief thanked groups in Yemen and Iraq, part of what is known as the “Axis of Resistance”. It includes Shi’ite Muslim Iraqi militias, which have been firing at U.S. forces in Syria and Iraq, and Yemen’s Houthis, who have joined in the conflict by firing drones at Israel.
