US envoy says Hezbollah involvement in Iran-Israel war would be ‘very bad decision’

The US special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack warns Lebanon’s Hezbollah against getting involved in the war between its main backer Iran and Israel.

Barrack, who is also the US ambassador to Turkey, is on his first visit to Beirut, where he met top Lebanese officials, including parliament speaker Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah.

“I can say on behalf of President Trump… that would be a very, very, very bad decision,” Barrack says after his meeting with Berri, responding to a question on what the US position would be on any involvement by Hezbollah in the war.

The group condemned Israel’s strikes on Iran when the conflict erupted on Friday, but did not announce an intention to intervene in support of Tehran.

Hezbollah suffered devastating losses in its war against Israel last year, which ended with a ceasefire agreement in November. The war heavily weakened the group, which was once seen as the most powerful and influential component the so-called Iran-led “axis of resistance.”

Reacting to the Iran-Israel war, the Lebanese foreign ministry said last week that it was “continuing its contacts” to spare the country from being dragged into any conflict.