US leads diplomatic push to prevent Israeli strike on Beirut
Shafaq News/ Five informed sources said the US is leading a diplomatic campaign to prevent Israel from targeting Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, or major civilian infrastructure, following a missile attack on the Golan Heights.
“Washington is urgently working to prevent an all-out war between Israel and the Iranian-backed Lebanese Hezbollah following Saturday's attack on the Israeli-occupied Golan, which killed 12 people,” the sources stated, including Lebanese and Iranian officials, as well as Middle Eastern and European diplomats.
Israel and the US held Hezbollah responsible for the missile attack, but the group denied involvement.
The White House affirmed Israel's right to respond to Hezbollah's attack on the Golan Heights but urged restraint amid escalating tensions on the Israeli-Lebanese border.
“There’s no reason, in our view, that this has to lead to some dramatic escalation,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said, adding, “There’s still time and space for diplomacy.”
“It’s Hezbollah that started firing on Israel way back in October, and I think we need to keep that in mind,” Kirby pointed out. “But nobody wants a broader war, and I’m confident that we’ll be able to avoid such an outcome.”
The US Department of State confirmed, “Blinken in the call with Herzog on Monday emphasized the importance of preventing escalation of the conflict and discussed efforts to reach a diplomatic solution to allow citizens on both sides of the border between Israel and Lebanon to return home."
Blinken also reaffirmed the US commitment to defending Israel against Iranian-allied groups.
Earlier today, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned French President Emmanuel Macron, during a phone call, of severe repercussions if Israel were to attack Lebanon.
On Sunday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry cautioned Israel against any "new adventure" in response to the Majdal Shams incident, affirming that any reckless Israeli attack on Lebanon could lead to increased instability, insecurity, and war in the region.
