US President Donald Trump accused Hezbollah and Iran of heightening the humanitarian disaster in Syria, stressing that “Hezbollah is a menace to the Lebanese state, the Lebanese people and the entire region.”
During a news conference with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri in the White House’s Rose Garden on Tuesday, Trump also called the Lebanese armed group, Hezbollah, a threat to the entire Middle East.
“With the support of Iran, the organization is also fueling humanitarian catastrophe in Syria.”
“I’m not a fan of Assad. I certainly think that what he’s done to that country and to humanity is horrible,” Trump said.
Recalling that he had ordered cruise missile attacks on Assad for using chemical weapons in the April 4 attack on the town of Khan Sheikhoun, Trump said: “I am not somebody that will stand by and let him get away with what he tried to do.”
The Lebanese Future Movement, which is headed by Saad Al-Hariri, said that the Hezbollah militia does not have the legitimacy to intervene in Syria and participate in battles in which Syrian civilians are being killed. It said that Hezbollah’s intervention in Syria serves Tehran and the Assad regime.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Movement said it will not recognize any national legitimacy to the participation of Hezbollah in the Syrian war, no matter the extent of written and televised threats Hezbollah is making against those who object to its policies.
On Thursday, US lawmakers introduced legislation seeking to increase sanctions on Hezbollah, accusing the group of violence in Syria and amassing rockets in southern Lebanon.
The bill seeks to further restrict Hezbollah’s ability to fundraise and recruit, increase pressure on banks that do business with it and crack down on countries, including Iran, a key supporter of Hezbollah. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department + Agencies)
