Wednesday, 08 July_A senior official with the Hezbollah resistance movement has said US President Donald Trump’s administration is pursuing a policy of starvation against the Lebanese nation, noting that Washington's agenda serves the interests of the Israeli regime in the region.
“The starvation process that Lebanon is exposed to is run by the US and its allies, and meant to force the country into capitulating to their policies and achieving the Israeli regime’s objectives,” Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem said in an interview with the Arabic-language al-Ahed news website published on Tuesday.
“In other words, the resistance front is a thorn in the side of Israel and poses a threat to it. The US, therefore, wants to pull the plug on the resistance front,” added Sheikh Qassem.
Hezbollah’s deputy chief further highlighted the acute shortage of dollar in Lebanon amid an economic downturn, saying Washington is “primarily responsible” for the problem because it is blocking the flow of cash into the Arab country.
The US, he added, is “seeking to interfere in the outline of economic reforms and their implementation [in Lebanon] and is pressuring the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to stonewall loans and financial aids.”
Sheikh Qassem also dismissed recent comments made by US Ambassador to Beirut Dorothy Shea about the resistance group’s role in Lebanon, saying Washington is trying to compensate for the failure of its smear campaign against Hezbollah through such allegations.
Shea was summoned for a meeting with Foreign Minister Nassif Hitti after she expressed “great concerns” over Hezbollah’s role in the Lebanese government in an interview with a Saudi-owned TV.
President Michel Aoun also condemned the US envoy’s anti-Hezbollah remarks, criticizing Washington's continuous meddling in the internal affairs of Lebanon.
Sheikh Qassem said, “While Hezbollah is keen [to protect] the independence of Lebanon, there are those who are concerned with the issue. It is a matter of honor for us that we are contributing to Lebanon’s independence.”
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