Washington: The United States is waiting to see how Lebanon's government shapes up but a big role for Hezbollah could complicate ties and impact ongoing aid, State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said on Monday.
"Our view of Hezbollah is very well-known. We see it as a terrorist organisation, and would have great concerns about a government within which Hezbollah plays a leading role," Crowley told a news briefing.
Asked if the United States would be able to continue to assist Lebanon if Hezbollah takes over the government, Crowley replied, "That would be difficult for the United States to do."
"The larger the role played by Hezbollah in this government the more problematic our relationship will be," he said.
Hezbollah and its allies won support on Monday to nominate their candidate for Lebanon's prime minister, giving them the upper hand in attempts to form a government and sparking accusations of a pro-Iranian coup.
Hezbollah appears on the official US list of foreign terrorist organisations subject to financial and travel sanctions.
The opposition brought down Prime Minister Sa'ad Hariri earlier this month, plunging the country into crisis in a dispute over confidential indictments by a UN-backed tribunal which is investigating the 2005 killing of Rafik Hariri, the premier's father.
Stalemate
The collapse of the government lays bare the stalemate between Hezbollah, supported by Syria and Iran, and the Western- and Saudi-backed Hariri.
The United State has given the Lebanese Armed Forces an estimated $650 million (Dh2.387 billion) in military aid.
