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Biden Administration Distances Itself From Pager Attack Against Hezbollah

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre speaking at the daily White House press briefing, March, 27, 2023. Photo: Screenshot

The Biden administration has kept distance from the explosion of pagers carried by Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon, which left thousands wounded and killed at least 12 people on Tuesday, stating that US officials were not given advance notice of what is widely believed to be an Israeli operation. 

US Secretary of State Antony Bliken told reporters on Wednesday that his department is still “gathering information” and assessing the potential fallout from the attack. 

“We’re still gathering information; we’re still gathering the facts. I can’t tell you in this moment what impact this will have,” Blinken said. “I certainly can’t speak to what impact it might have on Hezbollah and its operations. That would demand other expertise. And again, it’s also necessary to fully understand what’s happened, and we’re still in the process of doing that.”

Thousands of Hezbollah members were seriously wounded when the pagers they use to communicate exploded on Tuesday. At least 12 people were killed, and more than 2,800 were wounded in the initial round of blasts.

Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Mojtaba Amani was among those injured by the pager explosions and reportedly lost an eye.

Then on Wednesday, hand-held radios used by Hezbollah detonated across the Iran-backed terrorist organization’s main stronghold in Beirut and in southern Lebanon. The Lebanese health ministry said at least nine people were killed and 300 were wounded in the latest series of device explosions.

Experts and several media outlets have said that Israeli intelligence was behind the explosions with a sophisticated, long planned operation, although Israel has neither publicly confirmed nor denied responsibility.

Blinken’s comments echoed those of US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, who said on Tuesday that the department is “collecting information in the same way that journalists are across the world to gather the facts about what might have happened.”

“I can tell you that the US was not involved in it; the US was not aware of this incident in advance,” Miller said to reporters. 

Hezbollah has fired barrages of rockets, missiles, and drones at northern Israel almost daily following the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas-led Palestinian terrorists on the Jewish state’s southern region. Since then, both sides have been exchanging fire constantly while avoiding a major escalation as war rages in Gaza to the south.

About 80,000 Israelis have been forced to evacuate their homes in northern Israel and flee to other parts of the country amid the unrelenting attacks from Hezbollah.

Israeli leaders have said they seek a diplomatic resolution to the conflict with Hezbollah along the border with Lebanon but are prepared to use large-scale military force if needed to ensure all citizens can safely return to their homes.

On Monday night, Israel’s security cabinet expanded its war goals to include returning the displaced Israelis from the north.

“It is our judgment that a diplomatic solution is the best way to get them back to their homes,” Miller added in reference to the displaced Israelis. “Because if you look at what a military conflict would entail, it’s hard to see how that gets those families on either side of their border back to their homes quickly.”

Miller said that Israel has a right to “defend itself against terrorists” and cautioned Jerusalem to minimize civilian casualties as much as possible.  

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also clarified that US agencies did not participate in the attack and urged Israel to use diplomacy when dealing with Hezbollah in lieu of military action.

“If you’re asking me if the US was involved, no, the US was not involved,” Jean-Pierre said. “If you’re asking me if we were aware of the operation, we were not aware of this incident that hundreds of pagers, as you just mentioned, were going to explode in Lebanon ahead of time.”

“We’ve been very clear about the tensions in the Middle East and wanting to make sure that we do everything that we can to lessen the tension there,” she added.

The pager operation in Lebanon was met with a mixed response from US legislators. 

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) slammed the attack as a violation of “international humanitarian law” and called on Congress to launch an investigation into whether Israeli intelligence used American technology in the operation. 

“Israel’s pager attack in Lebanon detonated thousands of handheld devices across of a slew of public spaces, seriously injuring and killing innocent civilians.This attack clearly and unequivocally violates international humanitarian law and undermines US efforts to prevent a wider conflict,” Ocasio-Cortez said on X/Twitter. “Congress needs a full accounting of the attack, including an answer from the State Department as to whether any US assistance went into the development or deployment of this technology.”

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), a vocal critic of Israel, called the pager attack “disgusting” on social media.

Others were less critical, noting the target was a US-designated terrorist organization.

I guess it speaks volumes to why people shouldn’t be using pagers anymore,” joked Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY).

The post Biden Administration Distances Itself From Pager Attack Against Hezbollah first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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US Envoy Meets Netanyahu on Lebanon and Syria, Israeli Officials Say

US Ambassador to Turkey and US special envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack speaks after meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, in Beirut, Lebanon July 21, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir

Top US envoy Thomas Barrack arrived in Israel on Sunday and met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss Syria and Lebanon, three Israeli officials said.

The meeting was first reported by Axios, citing three Israeli and US sources, and followed discussions between Barrack and Israel’s Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer and Defense Minister Israel Katz.

Dermer held talks with Syria’s foreign minister Asaad al-Shibani in Paris on Tuesday on security arrangements in southern Syria, two Syrian sources familiar with the meeting said.

Syrian and Israeli officials have been conducting US-mediated talks on de-escalating conflict in southern Syria. A previous round of talks was held in Paris in late July but ended without a final accord.

On Monday, Barrack said in Lebanon that Israel should comply with a plan under which Lebanese militant group Hezbollah would be disarmed by the end of the year in exchange for a halt to Israel’s military operations in Lebanon.

The plan sets out a phased roadmap for terrorist groups to hand in their arsenals as Israel’s military halts ground, air and sea operations and withdraws troops from Lebanon’s south.

Lebanon’s cabinet approved the plan’s objectives earlier this month despite Hezbollah’s refusal to disarm, and Barrack said it was now Israel’s turn to cooperate.

There was no immediate comment from Netanyahu’s office.

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Israel Strikes Yemeni Capital Sanaa

Smoke billows from the site of Israeli air strikes in Sanaa, Yemen, August 24, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Stringer

Israeli strikes hit the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Sunday in retaliation for Houthi missiles fired towards Israel, with Houthi media saying the attack killed at least two people and injured five.

The strikes are the latest in over a year of direct attacks and counterstrikes between Israel and Houthi militants in Yemen, part of a spillover from the war in Gaza.

The Israeli military said the targets included a military compound housing the presidential palace, two power plants and a fuel storage site. The Houthi-controlled Saba news agency said the strikes killed at least two people and injured five.

“The strikes were conducted in response to repeated attacks by the Houthi terrorist regime against the State of Israel and its civilians, including the launching of surface-to-surface missiles and UAVs toward Israeli territory in recent days,” the military said in statement.

On Friday, the Houthis said they had fired a ballistic missile towards Israel in their latest attack, which they said was in support of Palestinians in Gaza. An Israeli Air Force official said on Sunday the missile most likely carried several sub-munitions “intended to be detonated upon impact.”

“This is the first time that this kind of missile has been launched from Yemen,” the official said.

Since Israel’s war in Gaza against the Palestinian militant group Hamas began in October 2023, the Iran-aligned Houthis have attacked vessels in the Red Sea in what they describe as acts of solidarity with the Palestinians.

They have also frequently fired missiles towards Israel, most of which have been intercepted. Israel has responded with strikes on Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, including the vital Hodeidah port.

Abdul Qader al-Murtada, a senior Houthi official, said on Sunday the Houthis, who control much of Yemen’s population, would continue to act in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

“(Israel) must know that we will not abandon our brothers in Gaza, whatever the sacrifices,” he said on X.

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Iran’s Khamenei Calls US Issue ‘Unsolvable’ Amid Nuclear Standoff

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting with government officials in Tehran, Iran, April 15, 2025. Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

Iran’s supreme leader said the current situation with the United States was “unsolvable,” and that Tehran would never bow to pressure to obey Washington, amid a standoff with Western powers over its nuclear program, state media reported on Sunday.

The Islamic Republic suspended nuclear negotiations with the United States after the US and Israel bombed its nuclear sites during a 12-day war in June.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s comments come after Iran and European powers agreed on Friday to resume talks to try to restart full negotiations on curbing Tehran’s nuclear enrichment work.

“They want Iran to be obedient to America. The Iranian nation will stand with all of its power against those who have such erroneous expectations,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was reported as saying.

“People who ask us not to issue slogans against the US … to have direct negotiations with the US only see appearances … This issue is unsolvable,” he added.

France, Britain and Germany have said they could reactivate United Nations sanctions on Iran under a “snap-back” mechanism if Tehran does not return to the table.

The European states, along with the US, say Iran is working towards developing nuclear weapons. Iran says it is only interested in developing nuclear power.

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