Defense Secretary Ashton Carter met with Israeli military leadership on a hilltop overlooking Lebanon and said that the United States will help Israel counter Hezbollah terrorists funded by Iran following the nuclear deal.
Carter said it was just “one example” of how the U.S. could support Israel after the agreement with Iran over nuclear materials.
“Hezbollah is sponsored of course by Iran, which is why the United States will continue to help Israel counter Iranian malign influence in the region,” Carter told reporters after receiving an Israeli security briefing in the area.
Israeli defence minister Moshe Ya’alon was complimentary of Carter and America’s support of Israel in the past while not being supportive of the nuclear deal.
“We greatly disagree when it comes to the agreement with Iran and fear for the future in the aftermath of its signing,” Ya’alon said. “Yet we discuss this issue in a fully open manner, alongside many other issues of great importance.”
Carter agreed that they can disagree over the deal but see common ground while making a second statement that Iran is funding terrorists.
“Friends can disagree about whether it will work,” he said, “and we will be watching Iran very closely to see. But there’s no disagreement about the ultimate objective. We cannot let Iran have nuclear weapons. And there’s no disagreement about the threats Israel sees every day from Iran’s destabilizing activities, from terrorists like Hezbollah and Hamas and [the Islamic State group.]”
Carter is scheduled to meet Tuesday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Iran threatened Israel on Monday after an Israeli unit killed six Iranian agents during a raid on a Hezbollah terrorist cell.
Iran promised a “crushing response” against the Jewish nation.
“The experience of the past shows that the resistance current will give a crushing response to the Zionist regime’s terrorist moves with revolutionary determination and in due time and place,” Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), told reporters.
The incident comes a week after Iranian officials said they were operating missile sites in Syria and possibly control a nuclear facility.
“If the highest level of Hezbollah commanders were in the Golan Heights and the high level of Iranians, it means that their idea, [what] they’re planning could be a kind of operation, an act against Israel on a high level,” Major General Eyal Ben Reuven of the IDF said during a conference call Monday organized by the Israel Project (TIP). “It’s significant, the high level of this meeting, of this reconnaissance of the Iranians and Hezbollah.”
“It says something about what they plan, what kind of operation they planned,” he added. “If Israel has intelligence that says there is a kind of operation on the way to act against Israel, I think Israel would have a legitimate [reason] to do all we can to prevent it.”
Hezbollah has said they are preparing for war in northern Israel.
Israeli officials say they don’t expect to receive retribution from Syria after an airstrike.
An IDF official who requested anonymity told the Times of Israel that he doesn’t believe Syria can afford to open up another war front when they’re so engaged in fighting against Islamic terrorist groups attempting to overthrow the nation.
The officer also said that it’s unlikely terrorist group Hezbollah, who had been trying to obtain weapons and munitions from Syria, would strike out against Israel.
“I don’t see any reason why in 2015 Hezbollah will turn to Israel, there is no logic to that way of thinking,” he said in a briefing with reporters at military headquarters. “But if you are talking about capacity and the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) should be ready to deal with any capability of any one of its enemies. The capability of Hezbollah is growing every year.”
Israel has stayed out of the Syrian Civil War other than to make surgical strikes when they find Syria attempting to send weapons to Hezbollah. There was no confirmation from the IDF that was the reason for the recent strike but the officer did make comment that seemed to indicate it was the reason.
“Anyone who tries to arm our enemies should know that we can go anywhere, anytime, in any way, in order to foil his plans. We will not compromise on this,” he said.
Senior British diplomatic sources revealed to a Kuwaiti newspaper that U.S. officials are conducting indirect discussions with terrorist group Hezbollah by receiving information through British negotiations and communications with the group.
Great Britain does not formally identify Hezbollah as a terrorist group and thus can conduct face-to-face meetings with the group. Because the United States classifies the group as terrorists, U.S. officials cannot meet directly with them.
A diplomatic source in Washington characterized the talks as keeping tabs on the region and the world and preparation for Iran to return to the international community.
Hezbollah is backed by the Iranian government and according to people connected to a meeting last week between Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and British Prime Minister David Cameron the move by the U.S. is seen as a way to show Washington’s willingness for diplomacy with Tehran.
The U.S. reportedly said through the British they would “warm up to a direct relationship in the future” with Hezbollah.
A car bomb detonated in a southern suburb of Beirut has killed at least 16 and left over 200 wounded. The bombing appeared to target strongholds of the Shia terrorist movement Hezbollah.
Heavy damage was reported to nearby buildings and cars. The BBC reported smoke was still rising from buildings two hours after the bombing. Continue reading →
The European Union reached a unanimous agreement to list the Lebanese group Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.
Hezbollah, backed by the Iranian government, has been playing a role in helping Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad fight against the rebels attempting to overthrow his government. Continue reading →
Nigeria’s army and spy agency have announced the discovery of a weapon cache of the terrorist group Hezbollah.
The Nigerian State Security Service said that weapons were intended for use against “Israeli and Western interests”. Continue reading →
Lebanese media is reporting that a rocket launched toward Israel from a town near the Israeli border.
Residents of Marjayoun, 6 miles from the border, said they could hear the rocket being launched according to the National News Agency. Residents of the northern Israeli town of Metula contacted the military reporting the sound of an explosion. Continue reading →
Syrian troops attacked an Israeli vehicle after claiming that it crossed the ceasefire line. Israeli troops then returned fire against the Syrian aggressors. Continue reading →
According to a Sunday Times report, Syria is preparing a massive missile attack on Tel Aviv should Israel make another strike against the Assad government’s attempts to transport weapons to Hezbollah. Continue reading →
