Top Lebanese diplomat says Beirut asking Hezbollah to avoid war

Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib tells CNN he is trying to convince Hezbollah to back off and keep the group from pushing Lebanon into war with Israel, but admits Beirut has little control over the powerful terror militia.

“It’s not like we can order them. We’re not claiming that but we can convince them and I think it is working in this direction,” he tells the station during a visit to Washington.

He says Lebanon does “not want any war” and fears the skirmishes between Israel and the terror group, which have been mainly limited to the border region, could spread.

“We don’t like a regional war because it’s dangerous to everybody. Dangerous to Lebanon, dangerous to Israel and to the countries surrounding Israel,” he says.

Bou Habib also accuses Israel of being behind a pair of bombs that went off at the tomb of Iran’s gen. Qassem Soleimani in which over 100 people were killed, without providing any evidence.