US intelligence officials reportedly fear Hezbollah could launch an attack on the United States as tensions boil over over the terrorist group’s attack on Israel.
The Lebanese group is likely to first target US military or diplomatic personnel in the Middle East, but could also target US soil, four unnamed intelligence officials told Politico.
“Hezbollah could take advantage of the ability it has… to put people [in] places to do something,” warned one of the officials.
“It’s something to worry about.”
The four officials did not offer details about what type of attacks are feared. However, they warned that Hezbollah has an expansive international network, larger than those of ISIS or Al Qaeda.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken also warned on Sunday that this is “a moment of deep tension in the region.”
“This is a conflict that could easily metastasize,” he said of the threat of it spreading.
US intelligence officials have warned that the threat of Hezbollah attacking the United States is growing. AP
The Iranian-funded terrorist group’s motivation to attack the United States has increased since the 2019 drone strike that killed former Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, officials said.
It may seek a forceful response if Israel does not reduce the death toll in Gaza, one of the officials said.
Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel shortly after Hamas launched its Oct. 7 attack on the Jewish country, and Hezbollah said its goal is to relieve the Israeli military’s pressure on Gaza.
Originally, US officials said the group was trying to avoid any confrontation with the United States.
“Iran, Hezbollah and their linked proxies are trying to calibrate their activity, avoiding actions that would open a concerted second front with the United States or Israel and at the same time imposing costs in the midst of the current conflict,” said Christy Abizaid, director of the National Counterterrorism Center. , testified at a congressional hearing in October.
“This is a fine line to walk and, in the current regional context, your actions carry the potential for miscalculations.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned over the weekend that fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah on the Jewish nation’s northern border “could easily metastasize.” AP
Since then, tensions between Israel and Hezbollah have only worsened, with an Israeli military officer warning that “another war” could break out in the region.
Over the weekend, the terrorist group launched some 40 rockets into Israel and hit its air traffic control base on Mount Meron, forcing thousands of Israelis in the north to evacuate.
The Israeli air base suffered some damage in the attack, but no one was killed.
Following the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Israel Defense Forces reservists that the country is willing to go to war with Hezbollah if the need arises.
“Of course, we prefer this to be done without a widespread campaign, but that won’t stop us,” he said, according to the Times of Israel.
Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel shortly after Hamas launched its Oct. 7 attack on the Jewish country, and Hezbollah said its goal is to relieve pressure from the Israeli military on Gaza. AFP via Getty Images
“We gave them an example of what is happening to their friends in the south; This is what will happen here in the north,” Netanyahu said, referring to Israel’s ground attack on Hamas strongholds in Gaza.
“We will do everything possible to restore security,” he added.
The country then killed Wissam Hassan al-Tawil, deputy head of a unit of Hezbollah’s Radwan force, in an airstrike on Monday.
On Tuesday, Ali Hussein Barji, head of Hezbollah’s air force in southern Lebanon, also died in an explosion in the town of Khirbet Selm, where members of the Iran-backed terrorist group were attending al-Tawil’s funeral, the newspaper reported. Times of Israel. .
Barji was believed to have been the mastermind behind the drone attacks that have devastated northern Israel.
Israeli forces killed Wissam Hassan al-Tawil, deputy head of a unit of Hezbollah’s Radwan force, in an airstrike on Monday. Xinhua/Shutterstock
In the wake of these attacks, the US State Department has increased security at its embassy in Lebanon as the Biden administration attempts to expel Hezbollah forces from Israel’s northern border.
Biden’s senior adviser Amos Hochstein is expected to visit Beirut on Thursday, after Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials told Hochstein that there is only a short period of time to find a diplomatic solution that would prevent an all-out war, according to Axios.
He will meet with acting Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and other senior Lebanese government and military officials to advance discussions on restoring peace along the border, a National Security Council spokesperson told the outlet. from the White House.
“The United States has made clear that it does not support the current conflict spilling into Lebanon and continues to exhaust all diplomatic options for Israeli and Lebanese civilians to return to their homes and live in security and stability,” the spokesperson said in a statement. .
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Source: vtt.edu.vn