Hezbollah official says group had no direct contact with Trump

Hezbollah official says group had no direct contact with Trump Hezbollah has had “no direct contact” with US President Donald Trump, despite recent statements from the US president suggesting otherwise, a senior Hezbollah official said. Senior Hezbollah figure Mahmud Qomati told AFP that “there has been no direct contact between President Trump and Hezbollah officials.” “We actually spoke with Hezbollah for the first time, ever,” Trump had told reporters last Wednesday, referring to efforts to halt the war. Two days earlier, after Israel threatened to once again bomb Beirut’s southern suburbs, the president said that “through highly placed representatives, I had a very good call with Hezbollah.” Qomati said Trump “perhaps” was referring to the fact that parliament speaker Nabih Berri’s adviser “communicates with the US ambassador and passes on messages”. Trump’s suggestion of direct contact with Hezbollah “shows to what extent the US administration is ready to abandon the Lebanese authorities at the least indication of contact with strong and influential parties in Lebanon,” Qomati said.