Washington, DC — Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today issued the following statement concerning the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah:
“As the leader of Hezbollah, a terrorist organization backed by Iran, Nasrallah was directly responsible for violence and destruction throughout the Levant region, and for numerous attacks against American interests, including the 1983 Beirut Barrack Bombing, attacks against various U.S. facilities and personnel, and numerous kidnappings and murders of Americans.
“With the assistance of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, Nasrallah oversaw a sophisticated arsenal of ballistic missiles and built a well-trained army whose primary goal is the elimination of the Jewish State. For the last year, Hezbollah has been raining barrages of rockets, missiles, and drones on northern Israel, forcing more than 60,000 people to flee their homes and making northern Israel nearly uninhabitable.
“Hezbollah has destabilized Lebanon, and perpetrated violence and destruction there for decades. In addition to killing scores of Lebanese civilians, Hezbollah’s regional adventurism has cost Lebanon dearly, leading to financial collapse and a crippled government.
“Hezbollah’s disciplined military force has trained other Iranian proxies in the region, fought with Syria’s dictator Assad against the Syrian people, slaughtering thousands, and inspired terrorist activity from Yemen to Iraq.
“Without a doubt, the region is better off without him. But it is imperative we concentrate on efforts to deescalate the increasingly volatile situation in the Middle East. The lives of millions of innocent civilians in Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, and elsewhere hang in the balance. Further destabilization in Lebanon could spill into other countries, and escalation by Iran would further fuel an already charged situation.
“We must work with allies and partners and jointly redouble diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the situation across the region. Chief among these efforts is the need to end the war in Gaza, bring the hostages home, and surge humanitarian support to the millions impacted by this war that was launched following Hamas’ horrific attack on October 7th.”
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