Trump's Deputy Emphasizes Confrontation with Hezbollah and Iran's Actions

The Vice President of the United States, during a memorial ceremony for the 1983 bombing at the U.S. Marine Corps headquarters in Beirut, stated that the commitment of the Trump administration to stop Hezbollah in Lebanon has 'increased' and that Iran's actions will no longer be 'tolerated.' Mike Pence spoke on November 1 at a ceremony marking the 34th anniversary of the bombings at a Marine Corps base in Washington. The U.S. Virtual Embassy in Iran quoted Pence as saying that the bombing in Beirut, which killed 241 Americans, entered the country into a 'global war on terrorism' that 'continues to this day.' Pence stated that this attack was 'planned and executed by Hezbollah terrorists.' He added that the Trump administration has 'increased commitments to cripple Hezbollah's terrorist network and bring its leaders to justice.' In another part of his speech, he criticized the Islamic Republic, saying that Iran 'still praises the perpetrators of the attack and calls them martyrs' and continues to 'send money and weapons' to the groups it supports. The U.S. Vice President referred to Washington's strategy towards Iran, which Trump recently discussed, stating: 'We will not allow Iran to destabilize other countries.' Pence asserted that the U.S. President will not remain idle in the face of these actions and will not allow the Iranian government to carry out attacks similar to those that occurred in Beirut in 1983. In his speech on October 13, the U.S. President allowed his Treasury Department to add the Iranian Revolutionary Guard to its sanctions list as part of a new strategy towards Iran. Despite opposition from European allies, he refused to acknowledge Iran's compliance with its nuclear agreement and left the fate of this agreement, which was established during the previous U.S. administration, to Congress. The United States has considered Hezbollah a terrorist organization since 1995. The Trump administration has taken measures to counter what it describes as Tehran's 'destabilizing actions' in the Middle East and the world. Trump's new strategy is believed to include Rex Tillerson's trip to the region or Washington's discussions with officials from other countries in line with these actions. Iran, which is considered Hezbollah's most important supporter, has denied some of the accusations made by the U.S. or Israel regarding sending missiles or weapons—such as using passenger planes—for Hezbollah or sending arms to other groups like the Houthis in Yemen. Tehran has never accepted any connection to the Beirut attacks and denies any involvement in this matter. On the other hand, the leader of Hezbollah, in a speech, stated that his group receives its financial needs directly from Iran, not from Lebanese banks: 'We are transparent about Hezbollah's budget, its revenues, expenses, everything that is consumed, its missiles and rockets all come from Iran.' Hezbollah is one of the most important militia groups involved in the Syrian civil war, supporting Bashar al-Assad. The Syrian civil war is in its seventh year and has left between at least 370,000 to half a million casualties. The U.S. supports some of the rebels opposing Assad in battles against the 'Islamic State.' In addition to Iran and Russia, several of the United States' allies in the region have also intervened in the conflicts and battles. In the October 1983 attack in Beirut, 241 members of the U.S. Marine Corps, 58 French peacekeepers, and 6 civilians were killed. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last year that $2 billion of Iran's frozen assets should be paid to the families of American victims of the Beirut attacks and other 'Iran-related attacks.' The Iranian Foreign Ministry, on the other hand, stated that these actions 'are contrary to established principles of international law and have no legal validity.' A few days before Pence's recent speech, senior officials in the U.S. House of Representatives announced that they would vote on a new sanctions plan related to Iran's missile program and Hezbollah.