US says Hezbollah will not recover or rebuild under Trump administration

U.S. State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said Hezbollah is using anonymous sources to promote what he described as false reports of an influx of cash from Iran, insisting that the group does not have access to the funds it claims.

“Hezbollah has every reason to float stories like this through anonymous sources. It can claim whatever it wants, but the money is not there,” Pigott said.

Pigott said Hezbollah has been “decimated” and accused the group of causing suffering for hundreds of thousands of Lebanese. He said Hezbollah was now attempting to “save face” by promoting what he called “fake stories” about cash transfers from Iran.

“Iran’s oil exports are blockaded, its currency is in freefall, and the regime is looking behind its shoulder,” Pigott said.

He added that the United States would continue to target Hezbollah’s finances through sanctions while supporting the Lebanese government’s efforts to rebuild the south.

“Hezbollah has brought nothing but misery to Lebanon and the people it claims to represent,” Pigott said, adding that the group started a war on behalf of Tehran that resulted in billions of dollars in damage.

“Even if this consolation payment were real, it would not be enough,” he said.

Pigott concluded that under the Trump administration, “Hezbollah will never recover or rebuild its terrorist infrastructure.”