American Official in Beirut: Efforts to Counter Iran's Dangerous Activities Will Be Intensified

David Hale, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, announced on Monday after meeting with Lebanese officials in Beirut that efforts to counter Iran's "dangerous" activities in the region, including financing and supporting proxy groups like Hezbollah, will be intensified. According to the Associated Press, Hale made these remarks following a meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri in Beirut. The U.S. Deputy Secretary of State emphasized, "We will expel Iranian forces from Syria through diplomacy and cooperation with our allies, and we will work with a UN-led political process to achieve peace and stability in the region." The U.S. has consistently criticized Iran's military presence in Syria and has stated its efforts to remove Iran from Syria. Brian Hook, the head of the Iran Action Group at the State Department, stated on Saturday in response to critics who deem it "impossible" to expel Iran and its affiliated groups from Syria: "We do not listen to the defeatists. If we always listen to critics, we will get nowhere in foreign policy." This U.S. official clarified that until Iranian forces and proxy groups are completely expelled from Syria, the United States will not assist in Syria's reconstruction. Meanwhile, the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army recently stated that Israel has attacked "thousands" of Iranian targets in Syria since 2017. As Hale visits Beirut, Israel has reported the discovery of tunnels along its border with Lebanon, stating that Hezbollah dug these tunnels for potential operations. The U.S. Deputy Secretary of State remarked about Hezbollah: "It is unacceptable for an armed group to exist outside of government control, be unaccountable to the people of Lebanon, dig tunnels across the blue line into Israeli territory, or have a warehouse of 100,000 missiles that jeopardizes regional stability." Concurrently, the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon emphasized in a statement that Hezbollah's tunnels "undermine the legitimacy of Lebanon's legal institutions." An Israeli army spokesperson also stated on Sunday that the operation to discover and destroy tunnels dug along the southern Lebanon-northern Israel border would be completed in the coming days after the sixth tunnel was blown up. According to Reuters, Hezbollah was formed in the 1980s with Iranian support. However, after Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000, this militant group expanded its political and military power. The U.S. has listed Hezbollah as a terrorist organization since 1997.