👀 Copy Legendary Investors' Portfolios in One ClickCopy For Free

Situation in Syria creating new weakness for Hezbollah, Iran, says US envoy Hochstein

Published 12/07/2024, 08:59 AM
Updated 12/07/2024, 09:01 AM
© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: U.S. special envoy Amos Hochstein speaks to the media after meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, in Beirut, Lebanon November 20, 2024. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir/File Photo
NYT
-

Doha (Reuters) - U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein said the situation in Syria, where rebels are pressing a rapid advance that is threatening President Bashar al-Assad's grip on power, was creating a new weakness for militant Lebanese group Hezbollah and for Iran.

The U.S. envoy, who negotiated a U.S-brokered ceasefire agreement in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah that went into effect on Nov. 27, said he believed Hezbollah was not yet eliminated but it was rather weakened.

Iran has been a backer of Assad in Syria's long civil war, sending allied forces including Hezbollah and Iraqi militias to bolster the Syrian military.

Hochstein, speaking during a political conference in Doha, said the situation in Syria would mean it was going to be harder for Iran to supply Hezbollah with weapons there, adding that Iran appeared to be withdrawing its support from Syria, without clarifying how.

Iran has said it is pulling out embassy families but has denied a report by the New York Times (NYSE:NYT) that it was pulling out military personnel.

Hochstein added that Hezbollah "may not be strong enough to fight Israel or to support Assad but it doesn't take a lot of strength to be a dominant presence in Lebanon so you can also be weakened and still strong at the same time when it comes to the Lebanese context".

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: U.S. special envoy Amos Hochstein speaks to the media after meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, in Beirut, Lebanon November 20, 2024. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir/File Photo

Hezbollah sent a small number of "supervising forces" from Lebanon to Syria overnight to help prevent anti-government fighters from seizing the strategic city of Homs, two senior Lebanese security sources told Reuters on Friday.

The Syrian army's defeats in the past week were "not that big of a surprise", Hochstein said, highlighting the army's limited power in comparison with events during the country's civil war 13 years ago when "it had two powers (Iran and Russia) coming to its aid in a very strong way".

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.