国际英语资讯:News Analysis: Lebanon PM faces U.S. pressure for tougher line against Hezbollah: analysts_时事

国际英语资讯:News Analysis: Lebanon PM faces U.S. pressure for tougher line against Hezbollah: analysts

Pempeo and Hariri held a joint press conference on Thursday night after a meeting to conclude the Lebanese prime minister's visit.

"Lebanon is threatened by Iran and its proxy Hezbollah," Pempeo said at the press conference.

The U.S. officials have, on many occasions, voiced their support for Lebanon and the Lebanese legitimate institutions, while adopting a stance against Hezbollah which is listed as a terrorist group by Washington.

The United States expressed great concerns after Hezbollah succeeded in controlling three of the 30 ministries in Hariri's new cabinet, including the Health Ministry which has the fourth largest budget in the state.

Moreover, Hezbollah won more than 70 of the 128 seats in the Lebanese parliament in an election held last year while Hariri, who is backed by the West, lost more than one third of his members of parliament.

Since then, pressure has further grown against the Shiite Lebanese party.

On July 9, the U.S. Treasury Department named three Hezbollah officials, members of parliament Mohammad Raad and Amin Sherri as well as Security Chief Wafiq Safa, as "specially designated global terrorists," effectively cutting them off from the international financial system.

According to former Lebanese Ambassador to the United States Riad Tabbarah, the maximum the United States will do is imposing sanctions against those directly linked to Hezbollah.