The United States has firmly denied any involvement or prior knowledge of the series of pager explosions that struck Lebanon on Tuesday. During a press briefing, US state department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that the US is currently gathering information about the incident but was not aware of it in advance and had no role in it.
"We are gathering information on this incident. I can tell you that the US was not involved in it. The US was not aware of this incident in advance. At this point, we're gathering information," Miller said.
Miller's comments followed confirmation from Lebanon’s Health Minister, Firass Abiad, who reported that the explosions, which occurred across the country, have resulted in at least eight fatalities and injuries to approximately 2,750 individuals. Abiad also mentioned that about 200 people are in critical condition, with victims receiving treatment in over 150 hospitals.
When asked about the details of the information the US has collected, Miller explained that the US is gathering facts similarly to journalists but did not provide a public update. He also refrained from speculating on the involvement of any parties, including Israel. Miller stressed that the US aims to see a diplomatic resolution to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah and preferred not to comment on the potential implications of the incident at this stage.
In response to questions about Iran's possible role, Miller declined to speculate, urging that any information should be confirmed before drawing conclusions. He reiterated that the US would advise Iran against exploiting the incident to heighten regional tensions.
"I never want to comment or speculate about the impact of any one incident, especially in the early stages of the incident. I am not going to do so here, that has been our policy to try to avoid doing. Our overall policy remains consistent, which is we do want to see a diplomatic resolution to the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. We want to see one that allows the tens of thousands of Israelis who have been displaced from their homes and tens of thousands of Lebanese who have been displaced from their homes to return home. That's what we are continuing to pursue," he said.
Hezbollah has reported that the explosions, which they attribute to malfunctioning pagers used by their personnel, resulted in the deaths of two fighters and a civilian. The group described the incident as their "biggest security breach" in nearly a year. Meanwhile, unverified reports from Arab media suggest that the explosions may be linked to an Israeli cyber attack, although no official statement has been issued by the Israeli military.
Israel’s Security Cabinet has updated its war objectives, now including the safe return of northern residents displaced by Hezbollah attacks as a key goal. This comes amid Israel's ongoing conflict with Hamas. The Gaza health ministry reported on Tuesday that 41,252 Palestinians have been killed and 95,497 injured as a result of Israel's military offensive on Gaza since October 7.
"We are gathering information on this incident. I can tell you that the US was not involved in it. The US was not aware of this incident in advance. At this point, we're gathering information," Miller said.
Miller's comments followed confirmation from Lebanon’s Health Minister, Firass Abiad, who reported that the explosions, which occurred across the country, have resulted in at least eight fatalities and injuries to approximately 2,750 individuals. Abiad also mentioned that about 200 people are in critical condition, with victims receiving treatment in over 150 hospitals.
When asked about the details of the information the US has collected, Miller explained that the US is gathering facts similarly to journalists but did not provide a public update. He also refrained from speculating on the involvement of any parties, including Israel. Miller stressed that the US aims to see a diplomatic resolution to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah and preferred not to comment on the potential implications of the incident at this stage.
In response to questions about Iran's possible role, Miller declined to speculate, urging that any information should be confirmed before drawing conclusions. He reiterated that the US would advise Iran against exploiting the incident to heighten regional tensions.
"I never want to comment or speculate about the impact of any one incident, especially in the early stages of the incident. I am not going to do so here, that has been our policy to try to avoid doing. Our overall policy remains consistent, which is we do want to see a diplomatic resolution to the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. We want to see one that allows the tens of thousands of Israelis who have been displaced from their homes and tens of thousands of Lebanese who have been displaced from their homes to return home. That's what we are continuing to pursue," he said.
Hezbollah has reported that the explosions, which they attribute to malfunctioning pagers used by their personnel, resulted in the deaths of two fighters and a civilian. The group described the incident as their "biggest security breach" in nearly a year. Meanwhile, unverified reports from Arab media suggest that the explosions may be linked to an Israeli cyber attack, although no official statement has been issued by the Israeli military.
Israel’s Security Cabinet has updated its war objectives, now including the safe return of northern residents displaced by Hezbollah attacks as a key goal. This comes amid Israel's ongoing conflict with Hamas. The Gaza health ministry reported on Tuesday that 41,252 Palestinians have been killed and 95,497 injured as a result of Israel's military offensive on Gaza since October 7.
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