US: Hezbollah funds from criminal activities, disarmament must come before reconstruction
A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State has reiterated that the funds Hezbollah claims to have received from Iran simply do not exist.
The spokesperson added that the money that Hezbollah does get comes from criminal activities, such as drug trafficking and partnerships with drug cartels in Latin America.
“This is yet another false announcement aimed at saving Hezbollah's reputation, rather than helping the people it dragged into war from the very beginning,” the spokesperson said about the press conference that was held by Hezbollah official Sheikh Ali Daamoush to announce about $200 million in aid to the displaced.
The spokesperson added that Hezbollah “must stop its false claims and misleading press conferences, and realize that its time is up.”
“Hezbollah dragged Lebanon into war with suicidal recklessness. Even if it had any money, it would use it to buy weapons to threaten Israel and intimidate its growing number of opponents. Hezbollah's weapons have brought nothing to Lebanon but misery and destruction,” the spokesperson went on to say.
“Contrary to Hezbollah's false claims, we are actively working with our partners in the Gulf states and Europe on a plan that would release billions of dollars in aid to rebuild Lebanon, but disarmament must come first. Conditions will improve when peace prevails, and peace will only be achieved when Hezbollah is disarmed,” the spokesperson stated.
They added that the trilateral framework remains the only viable path to achieving long-term peace and security for both Lebanon and Israel.
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