Russia: US policy could lead to Israel-Lebanon war

Russia’s Ambassador to Lebanon warned on Saturday that the US policy in the region could spark a new conflict between Israel and Lebanon.

Speaking with the Russian Sputnik news agency, Ambassador Alexander Zasypkin said that the United States' actions are aimed at sowing discord in the region.

"As for a conflict between Israel and Lebanon, nothing can be predicted with certainty because the region is at a crossroads. Peoples are demanding the settlement of existing crises, the return to a peaceful life, the development of cooperation. A negative alternative to this is the incitement of new conflicts by the Americans, which could involve many countries as well as ethnic and religious forces," the diplomat said.

Zasypkin said that instead of trying to deal with tensions in the region together with Russia and other countries, the United States has launched a campaign against Iran and Hezbollah, making the situation the region even more volatile.

The Ambassador added that Hezbollah has played an important role in crushing terrorists in Syria, siding with the Syrian government and its allies.

"When events started unfolding in Syria, Hezbollah sided with its lawful authorities, seeing the fight against terrorists in the region as its duty. Hezbollah became directly involved in military operations at Syria’s request, alongside Russia and Iran. The party took a responsible approach to what was happening in Syria and the region as a whole and contributed significantly to terrorists’ defeat," he told Sputnik.

Zasypkin called Hezbollah a powerful political party that is actively involved in the work of Lebanon’s parliament and government in support of stability, security, interfaith peace, and national dialogue.

"After the formation of a new government, the party’s secretary general, Hassan Nasrallah, notably urged political forces to refrain from fighting among themselves and to take on massive challenges the country faces," he said.