U.S. State Says "World Becomes Safer" To Remove Hezbollah Chief

The U.S. government gave a positive assessment of Israel's removal of Hezbollah head Hassan Nasrallah, but stressed that diplomacy is important for stability in the Middle East.

Speaking at a ministerial-level meeting of the United Nations for the Defeat of Islamic State, U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken said Nasrallah was a brutal terrorist and that Lebanon, the Middle East and the world were safer without him.

It also said several civilians in the U.S., Israel, Lebanon and Syria have been victimized by Nasrallah and that Nasrallah's Hezbollah has terrorized people across the Middle East and prevented Lebanon from moving forward fully as a country.

He stressed that diplomacy is the best and only way to make the Middle East more stable.

Blinken said the U.S. will continue to work with partners around the world to advance diplomatic solutions to provide real security for Israel and Lebanon and allow residents on both sides of the border to return home.

It added that it will continue to work to reach a cease-fire agreement that saves hostages in Gaza, relieves the suffering of Gaza residents and preserves the possibility of a more lasting and certain peace for the region as a whole.