Mike Pompeo hardens US stance against Hezbollah as risk to Middle East stability
US secretary of state targets the Lebanese party, as well as Hamas and Yemeni Houthis
Jerusalem — US secretary of state Mike Pompeo described Hezbollah on Wednesday as a risk to Middle East stability and conferred with Israel about the heavily armed, Iranian-backed Lebanese group ahead of a trip to Beirut. Pompeo, who has been on a regional tour to promote the Trump administration’s hard tack against Iran, received a warning from Israel which worries it may again be in the sights of Hezbollah forces winding down their intervention in Syria’s war. Meeting Israeli President Reuven Rivlin in Jerusalem, Pompeo listed Hezbollah, Palestinian Hamas and Yemen’s Houthis — all recipients of Iranian support — as “entities that present risks to Middle East stability and to Israel”. Risk to Middle East, Israel “They are determined to wipe this country off the face of the planet and we have a moral obligation and a political one to prevent that from happening. You should know that the US is prepared to do that,” Pompeo said in public remarks at the meeting. For its part, Israel ha...
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