Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah who was killed in an Israeli airstrike, was a "brutal terrorist" and the world is "safer without him," said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday.
"Under his leadership, Hezbollah terrorized populations across the region and prevented Lebanon from fully advancing as a country" © Mena Today
Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah who was killed in an Israeli airstrike, was a "brutal terrorist" and the world is "safer without him," said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday.
Despite the escalation of violence in the Middle East, Blinken reiterated the United States' commitment to pursuing a diplomatic solution in Lebanon.
"Hassan Nasrallah was a brutal terrorist who claimed many victims, including Americans, Israelis, Lebanese civilians, Syrian civilians, and many more," Blinken stated at the opening of a ministerial meeting in Washington, convened by countries in the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.
"Under his leadership, Hezbollah terrorized populations across the region and prevented Lebanon from fully advancing as a country," he said. "Lebanon, the region, and the world are safer without him."
Despite the dramatic escalation in the Middle East, Blinken affirmed that the United States still believes in diplomacy as the best path forward.
"The United States will continue to work with its partners in the region and around the world to push for a diplomatic resolution that brings real security to both Israel and Lebanon, allowing citizens on both sides of the border to return home," Blinken argued.
"Diplomacy remains the best and only way to achieve greater stability in the Middle East, and the United States remains determined to advance these efforts urgently," he said, emphasizing the need for a ceasefire in Gaza.
By Antoine Khoury
The Syrian Liberal Party has issued a bold call for a decisive international military alliance to disarm Hezbollah and restore full stability to Lebanon, proposing that Beirut formally request assistance from the existing US-sponsored international counterterrorism coalition.
The United States' top diplomat sought backing from sceptical Gulf allies on Wednesday for President Donald Trump's deal with Iran to end their war, while in another challenge to the accord, Israel insisted it would keep troops in southern Lebanon.
Talks between Israel and Lebanon include discussion of a U.S.-backed proposal for Israeli forces to hand over some of the territory they have invaded during the war with Hezbollah to the Lebanese military, according to Israeli and Lebanese officials.
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