Hezbollah’s top commander says, “We are ready to confront U.S. warships.” White House issues warning

A White House National Security Council spokesperson said the United States does not want the conflict to spread to Lebanon. The White House said Friday that Hezbollah should not try to exploit the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Hours later, Lebanese militant leader Hassan Nasrallah said Iranian-backed groups were not afraid of U.S. warships and "all options." He is willing to extend the conflict to Lebanon. In response to Nasrallah's threat, a White House National Security Council spokesperson said the United States does not want the conflict to spread to Lebanon. In his first speech since war erupted between Hamas militants and Israel last month, the leader of Lebanon's powerful Shiite movement blamed the US for the war in Gaza, saying the US government had no control over the Palestinian territory. He said stopping attacks on the region would prevent regional conflicts.