White House Warns of ‘Escalation’ in Mideast Following Lebanon Blasts

The White House has urged all parties to avoid escalating the conflict in the Middle East following two days of explosions in Lebanon, widely linked to Israel, targeting Hezbollah with handheld devices.

“We do not want to see any further escalation. We believe the solution to the current crisis is not through more military action,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Wednesday.

Kirby emphasized that diplomacy remains the best path to avoid opening another front in Lebanon, which could further complicate the situation.

Iran, a supporter of Hezbollah, has refrained from a major response following an attack in Tehran that killed a senior Hamas leader. Since Hamas’ October 7 assault, Israel has engaged in ongoing clashes with Hezbollah, which also receives backing from Iran.

When asked about whether Israel was complying with international humanitarian law in the attacks on pagers and walkie-talkies in Lebanon, Kirby said, “As we’ve maintained from the beginning, Israel has a right to defend itself.” He added that the U.S. continues to communicate with Israel about how they conduct their operations but did not confirm Israel’s involvement in the blasts.

Kirby reiterated that the U.S. had no involvement in the incidents: “We were not involved in yesterday’s or today’s events in any way.”