Hezbollah hit back against U.S. condemnation of its role in Lebanon on Thursday, calling it a "violation of sovereignty," after the United States expressed concern over the organization's expanding influence.
After meeting Lebanon's prime minister on Tuesday, the U.S. ambassador said the United States was worried about Hezbollah's "growing role" in the Lebanese cabinet. The Iran-backed Shiite group is listed as a terrorist organization by Washington.
"The negative American position on Hezbollah, and which American ambassadors are eager to repeat after meeting any official in Lebanon, is rejected and condemned," Hezbollah's lawmakers said in a statement.
They said the U.S. stance "violates national sovereignty and ignores a legitimate right in international law – the right to self-defense and to resist every threat and aggression," and was biased toward "the terrorist entity" – a reference to Israel.
Hezbollah controls three of the 30 ministries in Prime Minister Saad Hariri's new cabinet, the largest number it has ever held. They include the Health Ministry, which has the fourth-largest budget in the Lebanese government.
