BICOM

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson yesterday warned Lebanese leaders that Hezbollah’s growing arsenal and participation in foreign conflicts pose a threat to the country and the wider region.

Speaking at a news conference in Beirut with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, whose governing coalition includes Hezbollah, Tillerson said: “Hezbollah’s presence in Syria has only perpetuated the bloodshed, increased the displacement of innocent people and propped up the barbaric Assad regime. Their presence in Iraq and Yemen has also fuelled violence. And the consequences of Hezbollah’s involvement in these far-off conflicts—which have nothing to do with Lebanon—are felt here.”

During the brief stopover in Lebanon Tillerson also met with President Michel Aoun, Foreign Minister Gibran Bassil and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. The two main issues on the agenda were Israel’s plans to build a border wall that Lebanon says encroaches on its territory and Lebanon’s decision to begin exploring for offshore oil and gas in disputed waters.

Israel has been monitoring with concern Lebanon’s invitation for offshore gas exploration bids along the countries’ maritime border. Israeli Defence Minister Lieberman has described Lebanon’s exploration tender as “provocative” over a gas field “which is by all accounts ours”. Prime Minister Hariri said at the joint press conference: “What is ours is ours and what is Israel’s is Israel’s. We are trying to find solutions that will be fair to us and fair to everyone.”

Tensions are also building over Israel’s construction of a new border wall. Israel says the wall is being constructed in Israel territory on its side of the UN ‘blue line’ that separates the two countries. “We are engaging with the governments of both Lebanon and Israel to ensure Lebanon’s southern border remains calm,”  said Tillerson.

Tillerson then flew to Ankara and spent three hours in private consultations with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Both leaders refused to comment on the meeting.

Relations between the two countries have become more strained since Turkish forces attacked US-backed Kurdish militias in Syria that the Turks consider terrorists. Turkey has repeatedly accused the US of arming the Kurdish People’s Protection Units, which Tillerson denied in Beirut earlier in the day.

Tillerson is expected to meet his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu today to discuss bilateral relations.