US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sharply criticized Lebanon’s armed group Hezbollah and reaffirmed Washington’s full support for the Lebanese government. His remarks came as Hezbollah continued its fight against Israeli occupation forces in southern Lebanon. Rubio accused Hezbollah of deliberately destabilizing Lebanon through a targeted campaign and contrasted this with the government’s efforts to rebuild and secure a stable future with international assistance.

The statement followed comments from Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem, who urged the Lebanese government to revoke decisions labeling the resistance movement as criminal and condemned its failure to reject recent US sanctions on Hezbollah-linked officials. Despite a reported ceasefire agreement last month, Israeli forces have continued deadly attacks across Lebanon.

The Trump administration has been attempting to mediate peace talks between Israel and the Lebanese government, efforts that Hezbollah has repeatedly rejected, according to the report sourced from Al Jazeera.