US: Military pressure can aid diplomacy, or it can go awry

The US State Department warns that Israel’s bombardment of  Hezbollah sites in Lebanon can be a double-edged sword.

“Military pressure can at times enable diplomacy. Of course, military pressure can also lead to miscalculation. It can lead to unintended consequences,” a US State Department spokesperson says in an emailed statement.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told CNN that Israel was coordinating its response to Iran with the United States but would make its own independent decisions.

“Everything is on the table,” CNN quoted him as saying.

The United States said it supports Israel going after extremist targets in Lebanon like Iran-backed Hezbollah members, but does not want the targeting of civilians or civilian infrastructure.

“We’re in conversations with Israel about all these factors now. We have been clear and consistent that further escalation is in no one’s interest,” the spokesperson adds. “Every civilian casualty is one too many.”

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