US to Beirut: Iran, Hezbollah should not stand in way of Lebanon’s security and stability

The top US diplomat tells Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister that Iran and Hezbollah “must not stand in the way of Lebanon’s security and stability.”

Antony Blinken and Najib Mikati also discussed the presidential vacancy in Lebanon and Blinken said Beirut needed to “empower leadership that reflects the will of the people,” State Department Spokesman Matt Miller said.

The two met in London on Friday to discuss the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah, which has resulted in large swathes of Lebanon being reduced to rubble.

Blinken said the US was committed to a diplomatic resolution that fully implements UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and allows Lebanese and Israeli residents to return to their homes on both sides of the border.

UNSCR 1701 put an end to the July 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, but it was never fully implemented by either side.

As a result of Israel’s invasion and ongoing campaign to destroy Hezbollah weapons caches and infrastructure, there has been significant collateral damage in the form of civilian casualties and the destruction of agricultural lands and civilian infrastructure.

Israel has killed several Lebanese Armed Forces soldiers, and multiple UN peacekeepers from UNIFIL have been wounded as a result of what they say is deliberate Israeli targeting.

Blinken said the US was supportive of the Lebanese government and its “sovereign institutions,” including the LAF, in an indirect reference to Hezbollah being a militia outside of the control of the state.

“The Secretary reiterated his concern for the loss of civilian lives and civilian suffering,” Miller said.