US Secretary of State Marco Rubio denounced Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem's Sunday speech, particularly the threats to overthrow the Lebanese government.
"The United States condemns in the strongest terms Hezbollah’s reckless call to overthrow Lebanon’s democratically elected government," Rubio said on Sunday.
The terror group has "ignored repeated calls from the legitimate Government of Lebanon to cease its attacks and respect a ceasefire," he added.
Instead of doing this, Hezbollah has "continued firing on Israeli positions and moving fighters and weapons into southern Lebanon," Rubio continued.
The terror group is doing this as part of a "deliberate campaign to destabilize the country and maintain its power at the expense of the future of the Lebanese people," he said.
Rubio also commented that the Lebanese government is working to restore the country, with full backing and support from the US, while the terror group is "actively trying to drag Lebanon back into chaos and destruction."
"Hezbollah's threats of violence and overthrow will not be allowed to succeed. The era in which a terrorist group held an entire nation hostage is coming to an end," he stated.
Terror group leader's speech comes on anniversary of IDF's May 2000 withdrawal from southern Lebanon
Qassam's speech came on "Resistance and Liberation Day," which commemorates the IDF's withdrawal from occupying southern Lebanon on May 25, 2000.
During his address, the terror leader insisted that Hezbollah would not disarm, and praised the success of the group's first-person view drone attacks on IDF soldiers in southern Lebanon, among other topics.