Israel on Monday relayed a message of de-escalation to Lebanon through US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in the wake of an Israeli drone strike on Hezbollah assets in Beirut and another strike on Iranian assets in Syria that were reportedly carried out from Lebanon's skies.
Lebanese President Michel Aoun has denounced both as "a declaration of war," and discussed the issue with the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Ján Kubiš, his office said.
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Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar reported on Tuesday that Pompeo informed the Lebanese government that Israel did not "change the rules of the game" in the region, explaining that the strike in Syria "was necessary to prevent a planned Iranian attack [on Israel] and that it did not intend to cause casualties among Hezbollah."
The political wing of the Iranian-backed Shiite terrorist group wields considerable power in Lebanon and Aoun is among its most staunch supporters.
As for the incident in the Lebanese capital, the American diplomat reportedly explained that this was not an offensive operation, but rather an intelligence-gathering one and that when one drone malfunctioned, a second was sent to destroy it.
According to the report, Pompeo did, however, make it clear to Lebanon that if Hezbollah retaliates against Israel, the latter will mount a forceful response that will not distinguish between the state and the terrorist organization.
Pompeo also spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. According to the State Department, "The secretary expressed support for Israel's right to defend itself against threats posed by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and to take action to prevent imminent attacks against Israeli assets in the region."
"The secretary and the prime minister discussed how Iran is leveraging its foothold in Syria to threaten Israel and its neighbors. The prime minister noted that Israel would strike IRGC targets threatening Israel, wherever they are located," the statement said.
