The Washington Inquirer EditorU.S. President Joe Biden, in his first comments since the Israeli killing of the leader of the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, said the death of Hassan Nasrallah helped bring a “measure of justice” to the group’s many victims over a four-year “reign of terror,” while Tehran and many of its allies condemned the Israeli attacks.
In a statement released by the White House on September 28, Biden said Nasrallah’s “death from an Israeli air strike is a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese civilians.”
“The United States fully supports Israel’s right to defend itself against Hezbollah, Hamas, the Huthis, and any other Iranian-supported terrorist groups. Just yesterday, I directed my secretary of defense to further enhance the defense posture of U.S. military forces in the Middle East region to deter aggression and reduce the risk of a broader regional war.”
Hezbollah and Hamas have been designated as terrorist organizations by the United States.
“Ultimately, our aim is to de-escalate the ongoing conflicts in both Gaza and Lebanon through diplomatic means,” Biden said, referring to the war between Israeli forces and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip brought on by Hamas fighters’ October 7 deadly assaults inside Israel.
Separately, Vice President Kamala Harris, who is the Democratic candidate to compete against Republican Donald Trump for the presidency in the November 5 election, said that diplomacy remained the “best path forward to protect civilians and achieve lasting stability” in the region.
“Hassan Nasrallah was a terrorist with American blood on his hands,” she said, adding that “I have an unwavering commitment to the security of Israel.”
“I will always support Israel’s right to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Huthis.”
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, meanwhile, said he was “gravely concerned” by the “dramatic escalation” seen in Lebanon over the past 24 hours.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric added that Guterres believes “this cycle of violence must stop now. The people of Lebanon, the people of Israel, as well as the wider region, cannot afford an all-out war.”
Moscow condemned the killing of Nasrallah, with the Foreign Ministry labeling it “yet another political assassination.”
“This forceful action is fraught with even greater dramatic consequences for Lebanon and the entire Middle East,” it said.
Other comments:
IRAQ — Prime Minister Muhammad Shi’a al-Sudani condemned the killing, calling it a “crime” and a “shameful attack” that “shows the Zionist entity has crossed all the red lines.”
TURKEY — President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the Israeli attacks were a part of what he characterized as an Israeli policy of “genocide, occupation, and invasion.” He urged the UN Security Council and other bodies to stop Israel.
IRAN — Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called on Muslims “to stand by the people of Lebanon and the proud Hezbollah with whatever means they have and assist them in confronting the…wicked regime [of Israel].”
“The fate of this region will be determined by the forces of resistance, with Hezbollah at the forefront,” he said
Khamenei also declared five days of mourning in Iran in light of Nasrallah’s killing.
BRITAIN — Foreign Secretary David Lammy said he had spoken with the Lebanese prime minister and that “we agreed on the need for an immediate cease-fire to bring an end to the bloodshed. A diplomatic solution is the only way to restore security and stability for the Lebanese and Israeli people.”
FRANCE — Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot called for an immediate halt to Israeli air strikes in Lebanon. He also called on Hezbollah and Iran to refrain from any action that could destablize the region further.
GERMANY — Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called the situation in the Middle East “extremely dangerous” and expressed clear criticism of the Israel action.
“There is a risk of destabilizing the whole of Lebanon. And that is in no way in Israel’s security interest,” she told German radio.
She added that Germany, together with the United States, France, and several Arab states, on September 26 had demanded a 21-day cease-fire in the region and for a diplomatic solution to be achieved.
“The opposite has now happened. And now with the recent reports, it must be said clearly: The military logic, that is one thing, in view of the destruction of Hezbollah terrorists. But the security logic is another,” she said.
PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY — Leader Mahmud Abbasy offered condolences to Hezbollah over Nasrallah and also “offered his deep condolences to the Lebanese government and the brotherly Lebanese people, on the martyrdom of the civilian victims who fell as a result of the brutal Israeli aggression.”
CHINA — Foreign Minister Wang Yi condemned the escalation between Israel and the Hezbollah militia in his UN General Assembly speech.
“Fighting has started in Lebanon again, but might cannot replace justice,” Wang said without explicitly mentioning Israel.
“Palestine’s long-held aspiration to establish an independent state should not be shunned anymore, and the historical injustice suffered by the Palestinian people should not be ignored anymore,” Wang said.
“China has always been a staunch supporter of the just cause of the Palestinian people to regain their legitimate national rights, and a staunch supporter of Palestine’s full UN membership, we have recently helped to bring about breakthroughs in intra-Palestine reconciliation,” Wang said.
SYRIA — Hezbollah ally Syria condemned Israel’s killing of Nasrallah and said that Israel “confirms through this despicable aggression, once again…its barbarism and wanton disregard for all international standards and laws.”
