US does not support Israeli strikes on Lebanon, wants to prevent war expansion
Illustrative photo (Getty Images)
The United States does not support the escalation between Israel and Hezbollah. The White House is focused on reducing tensions, citing Reuters.
According to a senior US State Department official, Washington does not support cross-border escalation between Israel and Hezbollah. In particular, the US plans to discuss specific ideas with allies and partners to prevent the war from expanding.
Meanwhile, Israeli officials claim that the increase in airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon aims to "force the Iran-aligned group to agree to a diplomatic solution" of war.
At the same time, one US official criticized Tel Aviv's position during a press briefing, adding that the US is focused on "reducing tensions ... and breaking the cycle of strike-counterstrike."
Escalation in Middle East
US officials are warning of a potential sharp escalation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, which could escalate into a full-scale military conflict.
On September 17-18, a series of explosions occurred in Lebanon (hundreds of pagers and radios used by militants detonated). As a result of these events, at least 37 people were killed, and around 3,000 were injured.
In particular, the Israeli Air Force carried out airstrikes on 1,300 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon.
