US condemns Hezbollah leader call to topple Lebanon government

The United States has condemned a call by Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem for the overthrow of Lebanon’s government, pledging firm support for the administration in Beirut. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement on Sunday denouncing what he termed a reckless call to topple Lebanon’s democratically elected leadership.

The statement came in response to a televised speech by Qassem, the secretary-general of the Iranian-backed militant group, in which he urged popular action against the government. Qassem criticized the administration for participating in U.S.-brokered talks with Israel aimed at ending hostilities. He stated that if the government is incapable of securing sovereignty, it should resign, and that the people have the right to take to the streets and bring down the government in confronting what he called the American-Israeli project.

In his response, Rubio accused Hezbollah of ignoring repeated calls from the Lebanese government to cease attacks and respect a ceasefire. He said the group has continued firing on Israeli positions and moving fighters and weapons into southern Lebanon, calling it a deliberate campaign to destabilize the country and maintain its...