Hezbollah official tells AFP group had no direct contact with Trump

A senior Hezbollah official told AFP on Monday that the Iran-backed group has had "no direct contact" with President Donald Trump, despite recent statements from the US leader suggesting otherwise.

Washington considers Hezbollah a "terrorist" group, including both its military and political wings, and recently imposed sanctions on several of its lawmakers.

Last Wednesday, referring to efforts to halt the latest war in Lebanon between Israel and the militants, Trump had told reporters that "we actually spoke with Hezbollah for the first time, ever."

Two days earlier, after Israel threatened to again bomb Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, Trump said that "through highly placed Representatives, I had a very good call with Hezbollah."

Senior Hezbollah official Mahmud Qomati told AFP in written remarks that "there has been no direct contact between President Trump and Hezbollah officials."

He said Trump "perhaps" was referring to the fact that parliament speaker Nabih Berri's adviser "communicates with the US ambassador and passes on messages".

Berri, who heads the Shia Amal movement and acts as an intermediary for ally Hezbollah, met US Ambassador Michel Issa again on Monday.

Trump's suggestion of direct contact with Hezbollah "shows to what extent the US administration is ready to abandon the Lebanese authorities at the least indication of contact with strong and influential parties in Lebanon," Qomati said.

Hezbollah rejects US-sponsored direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, which began in April under US auspices and seek to halt the violence.

The two countries have no diplomatic relations.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam reiterated on Monday that "only the Lebanese state negotiates in the name of Lebanon".

Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war on March 2 with rocket fire at Israel to avenge the killing days earlier of Iran's supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes.

Israel responded with heavy strikes and a ground invasion.

Iran insists a halt to the broader Middle East conflict must include a ceasefire in Lebanon, and on Sunday fired missiles at Israel in response to Israeli strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs earlier in the day.

(AFP)

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