US sanctions on Iran are working, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday during an official visit to Lebanon, which he invited to stand up to the Shiite group Hezbollah.
Mr Pompeo accused Hezbollah of "criminality, terror and threats" and vowed new measures against its ally, Iran.
"Our pressure on Iran is simple. It's aimed at cutting off the funding for terrorists and it's working," he said after a meeting with Foreign Affairs minister Gebran Bassil. "We believe that our work is already constraining Hezbollah's activities."
The US Secretary of State said he shared concerns about "external and internal pressures on the government, including coming from some of its own members, which do not serve an independent thriving Lebanon."
The group's influence over the Lebanese government expanded since the general elections last year, when it won more than 70 of the parliament's 128 seats and obtained for the first time the health ministry portfolio – which has a significant budget.
Hezbollah also has a military wing that took part in Syria's civil war alongside President Bashar Al Assad and that Mr Pompeo estimated to have received as much as $700 million a year from Iran.
"Lebanon faces a choice: bravely move forward as an independent and proud nation, or allow the dark ambitions of Iran and Hezbollah to dictate your future," the US representative said.
Lebanese President Michel Aoun stressed that Hezbollah is a member of the Lebanese government. "Preserving national unity and civil peace is a priority for us," Mr Aoun said on Twitter.
In a statement, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said he told Mr Pompeo that Hezbollah's "resistance" against Israel was a result of continuing Israeli occupation of Lebanese territory.
US President Donald Trump has been a staunch supporter of the Jewish state. On Thursday, Mr Pompeo told a Christian broadcast network it was "possible" that President Donald Trump is like Queen Esther, who saved Jews in the Old Testament.
"As a Christian, I certainly believe that's possible," Mr Pompeo said in response to the question.
The US Secretary of State is touring the Middle East to drum up support for Washington's harder line against Iran.
Hezbollah's al-Manar television reported in its afternoon news broadcast that Pompeo was in Beirut "to incite Lebanese against each other."
Racecard
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Western Region Asia Cup Qualifier
Results
UAE beat Saudi Arabia by 12 runs
Kuwait beat Iran by eight wickets
Oman beat Maldives by 10 wickets
Bahrain beat Qatar by six wickets
Semi-finals
UAE v Qatar
Bahrain v Kuwait
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The%20Last%20White%20Man
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Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The%20specs%20
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Moving%20Out%202
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The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
SPECS
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history
- 4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon
- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.
- 50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater
- 1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.
- 1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.
- 1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.
-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.
Community Shield info
Where, when and at what time Wembley Stadium in London on Sunday at 5pm (UAE time)
Arsenal line up (3-4-2-1) Petr Cech; Rob Holding, Per Mertesacker, Nacho Monreal; Hector Bellerin, Mohamed Elneny, Granit Xhaka, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain; Alex Iwobi, Danny Welbeck; Alexandre Lacazette
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger
Chelsea line up (3-4-2-1) Thibaut Courtois; Cesar Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Gary Cahill; Victor Moses, Cesc Fabregas, N'Golo Kante, Marcos Alonso; Willian, Pedro; Michy Batshuayi
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte
Referee Bobby Madley
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
