Russian Ambassador Rules Out Immediate War Between Israel, Lebanon's Hezbollah Movement

Russian Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin on Wednesday ruled out the possibility of war between the Lebanese Hezbollah political movement and regional opponent, Israel, as both sides do not want such developments at the moment

CAIRO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th July, 2020) Russian Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin on Wednesday ruled out the possibility of war between the Lebanese Hezbollah political movement and regional opponent, Israel, as both sides do not want such developments at the moment.

On Tuesday, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said that the movement would "do anything" to oppose Israel's plans to annex territories of the West Bank that were intended to be implemented by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on July 1 but were eventually postponed. Most of the Arab countries have totally rejected Israel's plans. Zasypkin has excluded "a war between Hezbollah and Israel," adding that both Iran, which supported the Lebanese movement, and the United States, an ally of Israel, did not want conflict at the moment.

"All parts now do not want it. Neither the United States, nor Iran, or Hezbollah, or Israel, wants the war to break out in the region at the moment," Zasypkin said in an interview with the local Addiyar newspaper.

The US is currently expanding its activities in Lebanon, the ambassador suggested, arguing that Washington follows its "strategic approach that leads to starvation of an entire people or the collapse of the country."

A solution to confront "the American pressure" lies in solidarity among the Lebanese and in taking action to develop the country's economy and rely on its own capabilities, the ambassador added.

Zasypkin noted that Lebanon needed to enhance international cooperation with other parties that are ready to provide Lebanon with any support, including eastern countries.

The Russian official also referred to the lasting economic crisis that triggered mass demonstrations across Lebanon and noted the importance of a unified stance on addressing existing challenges inside the country.

The recently revealed US sanctions that come under the so-called Caesar Act, signed by US President Donald Trump in late 2019, may have more dire repercussions for Beirut than for the law's initial target - Syrian President Bashar Assad and his government, according to local experts and politicians, who stress that Lebanon is currently suffering from the worst economic crisis in 30 years.

In June, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah urged the crisis-struck country to seek economic opportunities in the east, especially in China. On Tuesday, Nasrallah said that the call to open the Lebanese economy for cooperating with eastern countries did not mean it would refuse US assistance.

Hezbollah has enjoyed crucial Iranian support since its founding in the early 1980s and opposition to Israel, which is largely backed by the US and seeking to undermine Tehran's position in the region.

The movement is labeled as a terror organization in the US, Israel, the United Kingdom and several other countries.