JUST IN: State Dept Holds Press Briefing Amid Growing Tensions Between Israel And Hezbollah
State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel holds a press briefing.
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NewsTranscript
00:00I don't have anything off the top.
00:03Daphne, you want to kick us off?
00:05Yeah, thank you.
00:06Just on Israel-Lebanon, I saw Kirby's comments that conversations have taken place over the
00:12weekend after the rocket strike in Golan Heights that killed 12 children and teenagers.
00:17What conversations has the U.S. been having with Israel and Lebanon since that strike?
00:21So I'm certainly not going to get into the specifics of the diplomatic engagements, Daphne,
00:26but first let me just say we strongly condemn Lebanese Hezbollah's rocket attack that struck
00:31a soccer field in Machdal Shams area of Golan Heights over the weekend, killing 12 children.
00:37Secretary Blinken spoke with Israeli President Isaac Herzog today.
00:42He expressed condolences for those killed.
00:44And the United States prioritizes the protection of civilians in any conflict, and we mourn
00:49every loss of civilian life.
00:52The conflict along the blue line, along Israel and Hezbollah, has gone on for long enough,
00:58and it's in everyone's interest for it to resolve quickly.
01:02We continue to believe a diplomatic resolution is both achievable and urgent, and we continue
01:07to be engaged in diplomatic talks because our ultimate goal here is for civilians on
01:12both sides of the border to be able to safely return to their home.
01:17And so those conversations are ongoing and we'll continue to coordinate closely with
01:22the relevant parties.
01:23Have you urged Israel to exercise restraint in their retaliation at all?
01:27So look, first and foremost, Israel has a right to defend itself from terrorism, and
01:33we're continuing to engage in ongoing conversations with all parties.
01:37And then just on Gaza ceasefire talks, Kirby said there's no indication that the strike
01:41is going to negatively affect those discussions.
01:44How confident are you that this won't affect those Gaza ceasefire talks?
01:48If this turns into a few days of fighting, as Israeli officials have said they are preparing
01:53for, could this derail talks at all?
01:55Well, certainly we believe that a ceasefire in Gaza could also help bring – help relieve
02:02the tensions along the blue line, could help relieve those tensions, and creating the conditions,
02:06as I've said, for displaced Lebanese civilians to go home in the south and for Israeli civilians
02:11to go home in the north.
02:14As it relates to broader ceasefire efforts, we are continuing to engage in the process.
02:19We are hopeful about the developments as they progress.
02:23The negotiations are ongoing.
02:25We continue to believe that a deal is both achievable – but not only is it achievable,
02:30we think that it is necessary and urgent.
02:33And so those conversations are going to continue ongoing.
02:35Obviously, as Matt and the Secretary and others have said when they've been asked similar
02:40questions, it's not helpful to negotiate on the inner workings of those publicly.
02:45But we're going to continue to engage in the process.
02:47And Hamas has accused Israel of blocking a ceasefire, saying Netanyahu's government
02:51has inserted new conditions into the proposal at the latest talks.
02:55Is that your assessment as well?
02:58This comes after Netanyahu's visit to D.C., where U.S. officials emphasized the importance
03:02of a ceasefire.
03:03So are you concerned about the timing of this?
03:04So I'm not going to – again, I'm not going to get into the specifics of the negotiating
03:08process and certainly not going to negotiate from up here.
03:12There are a number of complicated details that need to be worked out, and I'm not
03:16going to outline those publicly.
03:18But again, we think a deal is both achievable and we think it's urgent.
03:22And as we have said previously and consistently, there has been a deal that was on the table,
03:27and Hamas needs to accept that deal.
03:29And we expect these conversations to keep on going.
03:32Has Israel inserted new conditions?
03:34Again, I'm just not going to speak to the negotiation process from here.
03:38Jenny.
03:39Following up on Daphne's questions on Lebanon, has the U.S. specifically warned Israel against
03:44striking Beirut?
03:45I guess it's part of its response.
03:47I'm not going to speak to specific diplomatic engagements, Jenny.
03:52First and foremost, let me just reiterate what I've said previously, is that Israel
03:56has a right to defend itself against terrorism.
03:59We are continuing to engage and we're continuing to seek a durable diplomatic solution.
04:03That ends all types of cross-border fire and it makes it possible for those who are
04:08displaced on both sides to return home.
04:11That is our priority.
04:13Does the U.S. consider striking Beirut within the right to defend itself, given the potential
04:18for escalation?
04:19This is – that's just a hypothetical, Jenny.
04:21We're not going to get ahead of that process.
04:23What we're focused on right now is engaging in a diplomatic conversation with both sides.
04:27Our priority is creating the conditions so that civilians on both sides of the borders
04:31can safely return home.
04:33A number of carriers have canceled flights to Lebanon.
04:37How is the State Department preparing to help U.S. citizens who might want to be there?
04:41So we have no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas.
04:46Our message to American citizens in Lebanon continues to be that they should enroll in
04:51the Smart Traveler program so that they can receive important messages about the safety
04:57conditions on the ground and other considerations and factors that they may have.
05:02We don't have any plans for – or an announcement as it relates to an evacuation or efforts
05:08for private U.S. citizens from Lebanon.
05:10I will also use this opportunity to remind folks that as it relates to the Travel Advisory
05:15Warning for the entire country, that continues to be at a level three, and specifically southern
05:20Lebanon is at a level four.
05:23Commercial flights, some of them continue to remain available, and so we encourage American
05:27citizens to look into those options.
05:29But in addition to enrolling in Smart Travel, there's a number of other steps that we
05:35think that they can take.
05:36They should make sure to have a plan in place.
05:38They should also make sure that their U.S. passport is valid.
05:42All of these things, if they enroll in Smart Traveler and engage with our consular team,
05:47those are things that we can assist with them on.
05:48And has there been any change in the posture at the embassy in terms of staffing or security?
05:52There is not.
05:53There is not.
05:54Can I follow on these themes generally?
05:55Yeah.
05:56What is the Department's understanding, including through the Secretary's engagements, of how
06:01much of Israel's retaliatory response we've already seen?
06:04Were the strikes this weekend the beginning, the middle, the end?
06:08I'm just not going to speculate on that, Olivia, and that's something I will leave it to our
06:12Israeli partners and the IDF to speak to.
06:14What I can say is that what the United States is squarely focused on, which is, one, ensuring
06:20that we come to some kind of durable diplomatic solution that is – that will allow civilians
06:27in both Israel and Lebanon to be able to safely return home.
06:30That's what our priority is.
06:32We'll also continue to remain engaged with officials in Lebanon as well as officials
06:37in Israel as well.
06:39I mean, the prime minister said that a response is coming and it will be severe, indicating
06:44that there may be more to come.
06:45Is the U.S. preparing for that kind of a scenario?
06:48We are engaging with the relevant entities continuously as well as continuing to remain
06:54focused on a durable diplomatic solution.
06:57I'm not going to get ahead of what's going to happen here or try to speculate or preview.
07:04First and foremost, again, we strongly condemn this attack that struck the soccer field.
07:08But beyond that, we're continuing to engage to ensure that there is some kind of durable
07:15diplomatic solution, and I'm just not going to get ahead of that.
07:17Okay.
07:18And so on hostage talks, just to circle back, because, I mean, they took place in Rome.
07:23We know it was publicly reported.
07:24They broke up within a matter of hours with the Mossad director returning to Israel without
07:30an apparent breakthrough.
07:31I know you don't want to get into the nitty-gritty, but Hamas said that new conditions have been
07:36placed on the table by Israel.
07:37Is that inaccurate in your view?
07:39You are exactly right that I am not going to get into the nitty-gritty and outline the
07:43details of these negotiations publicly.
07:45I'll echo what I just said to Daphne and what you've heard Matt say as recently as last
07:50week.
07:51We are hopeful about the developments and the progress that is being made.
07:55These are processes that are ongoing.
07:57We believe a deal is both achievable and urgent.
08:00There are, of course, a number of complicated details that continue to need to be worked
08:04out, but I am not going to get into them specifically from up here.
08:09That would be unhelpful for the process.
08:12What I can say is that there has been too much suffering for far too long, and we believe
08:17that it's time for this war to end.
08:19We think that a ceasefire can unlock a great deal.
08:22We think it creates the ability for hostages, the remaining hostages, to be returned home,
08:28including the remaining Americans.
08:30We believe that it creates the conditions so that an additional influx of humanitarian
08:35aid can make its way into Gaza to help address the dire circumstances in Gaza.
08:41And perhaps most importantly, it creates the condition that will allow relevant actors
08:47to have serious diplomatic conversations about the region's future and get us out of these
08:53endless cycles of violence.
08:55That's what we think is at stake, and that's what we're going to continue to work towards.
08:58But I know that there is a lot of interest in the details and the negotiations and the
09:04back and forth, and I am just not going to get into those publicly.
09:07Sure.
09:08I just want to ask about consistency, because you and Matt and other U.S. officials have
09:11not hesitated to say when the ball is in Hamas's court.
09:14So I'm just wondering whose court the ball is in now.
09:16I mean, U.S. officials last week made a – went to great lengths to stress how much they were
09:20dialing up the pressure on Prime Minister Netanyahu.
09:23The deal is closable, it needs to be closed, subject to some implementation issues.
09:27So who is causing the hang-up now?
09:31I'm not going to get into – again, I'm not going to get into the specifics of the
09:34negotiations, but let's look at this from a little bit of a wider lens and take a step
09:40back here.
09:41Consistently, since when – I believe it was about a month and a half ago when President
09:47Biden went into the Roosevelt Room and laid out the contours of this proposal that had
09:51been on the table, this proposal that Israel had agreed to, that Arab partners had agreed
09:56to, that the United Nations had supported, that the UN Security Council had supported.
10:02Time and time again, it continued to be Hamas that changed pieces of the deal and changed
10:07pieces of the proposal.
10:09So this is a process that is ongoing, and we're going to continue to work with – work
10:15through this process, and I'm not going to get into the specifics.
10:17Okay.
10:18I mean, you just said Hamas changed the conditions without saying what – who is changing the
10:21conditions now, but I understand we may not get an answer on this.
10:25One more just on the Vice President's comments last week, because some far-right officials
10:30in Israel took issue with those comments, saying she was calling for a truce or a surrender.
10:34Do you have any response to – I think it was Ben-Gvir and Smotrich who came out.
10:39Well, look, I think it's pretty clear that those are characterizations that very much
10:46takes the Vice President's comments out of context.
10:49The Vice President was clearly stating what has been this administration's position,
10:57that a ceasefire is at – of utmost importance and that it can unlock a great deal.
11:02Some of the things that I just spoke about, the release of American hostages, the influx
11:07of humanitarian aid, and that's why we think this is something that is timely, it needs
11:12to be urgent, and it's something that needs to be prioritized.
11:15Follow-up?
11:16Go ahead.
11:18Sorry for walking in late, but just to follow up on Olivia's point, I mean, you – in
11:23the past, you or Matt did not hesitate in saying that the ball was in Hamas's court.
11:30Why this time around you are unwilling to say who is standing in the way of arriving
11:37at a deal?
11:38Because there are all kinds of reports that Mr. Netanyahu has had a change of heart.
11:43He actually agreed to something, then he changed his mind.
11:46So I'm not going to just – I'm not going to get into a back-and-forth on hearsay and
11:52what may or may not be true when it comes to public reporting or not.
11:57What I can say is this, Said, is that these are negotiations, these are processes that
12:02are ongoing.
12:03We're going to continue to be engaged in those efforts.
12:06There continue to be a number of details and issues that need to be worked out.
12:11But we continue to believe that a deal is achievable.
12:14Not only is it achievable, but for all the reasons that I laid out, coming to a deal
12:19should be of utmost importance.
12:22And it is true that at various times throughout this process, Said, Hamas has changed the
12:29goalposts, it has changed conditions.
12:33That has been true without us getting into the specifics of the negotiations process,
12:39which I'm not going to get into now.
12:41So you're saying that the Israeli Government or Mr. Netanyahu has not changed position
12:47from the original?
12:49I'm just not speaking to the specifics.
12:50The proposal that was announced by the President of the United States on May 31?
12:55I'm not speaking to the specifics of the negotiations, Said.
12:58Okay.
12:59Just a couple more things, if you'll allow me.
13:00I know on Majd al-Shams, I'm sure that I walked in late, you spoke about that.
13:05But does that in any way – I mean, it's a tragic incident, of course – but that
13:10in any way spotlight the fact that the Golan Heights is occupied Syrian territory, that
13:17Majd al-Shams is a Syrian town, that the people that were killed were actually Syrian citizens?
13:23Does that spotlight the fact that this occupation – it's time for this occupation to end?
13:29Said, our U.S. policy on the Golan Heights has not changed under this administration.
13:34That should be no surprise to you.
13:36I will echo what you've heard the Secretary say a number of times, that Golan is very
13:43important and vital to Israel's security.
13:45And as long as the Assad regime is in power in Syria, as long as Iran and its proxies
13:51continue to be present in Syria, by – as long as militia groups backed by Iran continue
13:57to be in Syria, and the Assad regime itself poses a significant security threat to Israel,
14:04as a practical matter, the control of the Golan – it remains of real importance to
14:10Israel's security.
14:11So you're saying that the designation of the Golan Heights, according to 242 and 338,
14:18as occupied territory, is contingent on who is leading Syria?
14:21Said, what I'm saying is that our policy – our policy as it relates to the Golan
14:26Heights hasn't changed.
14:27Okay.
14:28Let me ask you a couple more questions.
14:29Yeah.
14:30The IDF just destroyed a key Rafah Wara facility.
14:31Do you have any comment on that?
14:32Are you aware of the report?
14:33And do you have any comment on that?
14:42We have seen those reports, Said, and we have been in touch with our partners in Israel
14:46and the IDF as it relates to seeking out additional information.
14:52Over the course of this conflict, you have seen myself, Matt, and others speak clearly
14:57about the importance of not targeting civilian infrastructure, things like water, sewage
15:02treatment plants, things like that.
15:05Of course, such a facility like this one would be inconsistent with that.
15:10But again, I don't have any additional information beyond what's out there publicly, and we
15:14have sought out additional information as to what happened.
15:17And lastly, the Netanyahu government postponed the evacuation of 156 Palestinian wounded
15:24children from Gaza because of what happened in Majd al-Sham.
15:26Do you think these two issues ought to be tied?
15:29Certainly not.
15:30I don't know the circumstances around that, Said.
15:34I don't know the underlying circumstances.
15:36What I can say is that every effort possible should be taken to protect and minimize civilian
15:41casualties, including and especially children.
15:44But I don't want to just assume that these issues are related or not, Said.
15:50So we'll see if there's additional information there.
15:53Go ahead.
15:54Thank you, Vidal.
15:55Yeah.
15:56I just want to go back to your answer to Said about the Golan Heights.
15:58Yeah.
15:59You mentioned that the control – the Israeli control is a security necessity for Israel
16:05as long as Assad and other villains are operating in Syria.
16:10But are you – is this a walk back from the recognition of Trump administration of Golan
16:19Heights as a sovereign territory of Israel?
16:23Our position on our policy has not changed.
16:27So it is a sovereign territory of Israel?
16:30Our policy as it relates to the Golan Heights has not changed.
16:32The Secretary has spoken about this since the beginning of this administration, and
16:36we have consistently talked about it in the same way, and our position has not changed.
16:41Okay.
16:42And my second question is about the Hezbollah incidents, Hezbollah denying this, and Israel
16:49and the United States accused Himofit.
16:54Do you have any independent verification that it was Hezbollah, or you rely on Israeli
16:58information?
16:59So I'm not going to get into the underlying data that supports this assessment, but what
17:09I can say is that this attack was conducted by Hezbollah.
17:14It was their rocket and it was launched from an area they control, and any assertation
17:18to the contrary would be a denial of reality.
17:22This is your U.S. assessment.
17:23It's U.S. assessment.
17:24I'm not going to get into the underlying circumstances of this assessment, but it is the – it is
17:31our assessment that this was an attack by Hezbollah, again, because it was their rocket
17:37and it was launched from a region, an area they control.
17:40The U.S. embassy issued a warning to U.S. citizens in Lebanon, asking them to leave
17:45as soon as possible.
17:46Is this – a lot of people in the region are taking this as a warning of a looming
17:53war.
17:54Is that what you – is that your assessment of what's coming up?
17:57You have to – the important thing to remember is that when it comes to our consular efforts,
18:03we take the safety and security of American citizens – it is of utmost importance to
18:10the Secretary of State.
18:12We do not think that any kind of all-out war is inevitable.
18:18That's certainly not what we believe, and we continue to believe that through diplomacy
18:22it's possible to continue to create conditions in which civilians are able to safely return
18:27to their homes, both in Israel and Lebanon.
18:30But when we're talking about the safety and security of the American citizens, and
18:34especially American citizens living in the region, living in Lebanon, we have a responsibility
18:39to make sure that they have the most up-to-date and relevant information as it relates to
18:44safety conditions to countries where they travel.
18:47And as it relates to Lebanon, as it relates to the whole country, that continues to be
18:51a level three for reconsidered travel.
18:54And for southern Lebanon, that continues to be a level four for do-not-travel, and that
18:58is because what we're talking about is safety.
19:01And right now, yes, the safe thing for American citizens to do would be to make appropriate
19:07plans, some of which I laid out to Jenny when she asked her question earlier.
19:12QUESTIONER 3 Thank you.
19:13MR.
19:14RATHKEYEYER Yeah.
19:15Michel, go ahead.
19:16QUESTIONER 3 I don't want to repeat the question on your
19:17confidence.
19:18To what extent are you confident, as Kirby, is that there will be no all-out war between
19:26Israel and Hezbollah when Israel reacts?
19:29And where is this confidence coming from?
19:31MR.
19:32RATHKEYEYER Michel, certainly it is not helpful for you
19:36to ask such a question dealing in such kind of absolutes.
19:40What I can say is that what we're focused on is the work at hand, and our – the work
19:44at hand for us is continuing to engage in diplomacy and finding a durable diplomatic
19:49solution which, as I said, will allow civilians to safely return to their homes.
19:55We're going to continue to engage with officials both in Lebanon and in Israel.
20:00As you saw, the Secretary had the opportunity to speak to President Herzog earlier, and
20:07we'll continue that kind of engagement and focused on the region.
20:10QUESTIONER 3 Did you talk to Iran about the escalation
20:12in Lebanon and Israel?
20:14MR.
20:15RATHKEYEYER I'm not aware of any conversations.
20:16QUESTIONER 3 Directly or indirectly?
20:17MR.
20:18RATHKEYEYER I'm not aware of any conversations, Michel.
20:19QUESTIONER 3 To Oman or Qatar?
20:20MR.
20:21RATHKEYEYER Like I said, I'm not aware of any conversations
20:22with Iran.
20:23DR.
20:24Go ahead.
20:25QUESTIONER 4 Yeah, staying on Iran.
20:26MR.
20:27RATHKEYEYER Yeah.
20:28QUESTION 4 Thank you.
20:29On Iran, what do you expect from his Administration?
20:31Is there any space for improvement between the U.S. and Iran when it comes to the nuclear
20:36deal and also the things that are happening in the region?
20:39MR.
20:40RATHKEYEYER Let me say a couple things.
20:41So first, we have no expectation that the new president's election, that it's going
20:49to lead to any fundamental change in Iran's direction or that it's going to lead to any
20:55additional or more respect for the basic human rights of its citizens.
21:00We are going to judge, just as we always have, Iran's leadership by their actions, not by
21:07their words or even claims of moderation or claims of wanting better ties.
21:15The proof is in the pudding, and the proof is going to be reflected in the actions that
21:20they take.
21:21And as it relates to your question about the nuclear program, look, our approach is unchanged.
21:28We have long said that ultimately we view diplomacy as the best way to achieve an effective,
21:33sustainable solution with regards to Iran's nuclear program.
21:38Nothing about this election has changed that.
21:40But still, as we've also said, we are far away from anything like that right now happening,
21:45given Iran's numerous escalations across the board, including its nuclear escalation as
21:50well as its failure to cooperate with the IAEA.
21:55I just said that we will judge Iran's leadership by its actions, not their words.
22:00If there is a desire to show seriousness or a new approach, certainly there is some immediate
22:05actions that they could take, which would be meaningfully cooperating with the IAEA.
22:09QUESTION.
22:10Just staying on the diplomacy.
22:11MR.
22:12VENTRELLEY.
22:13Yeah.
22:14QUESTION.
22:15It's been a long time that you say that we see diplomacy as the best way to dealing with
22:17Iran and the Iranian nuclear program.
22:19Has the diplomacy worked with the Iranian Government so far?
22:22MR.
22:23VENTRELLEY.
22:24Sorry, I'm not –
22:25QUESTION.
22:26Has the diplomacy – has diplomacy tools worked with Iran to bring Iran to the table
22:28and to make Iran to not enrich uranium and to not pursue the dreams of getting nuclear
22:34weapon?
22:35MR.
22:36VENTRELLEY.
22:37That is something that we're going to continue to remain deeply focused on.
22:40I will say that diplomacy has sought out results that certainly the United States is interested
22:50in.
22:51If you recall just last fall or late last summer, you saw through our engagement we
22:55were able to successfully release American citizens who were being detained by the Iranian
23:00regime.
23:01So certainly, there are conditions in which the end result of diplomacy has a desired
23:07outcome for the United States.
23:09Quita.
23:10QUESTION.
23:11Yeah, thank you.
23:12I want to go back to the Israeli Hezbollah topic on this.
23:16Earlier, you said that you're engaged with relevant entities.
23:20I was wondering if the U.S. has communicated with the Islamic Republic of Iran about what's
23:26going –
23:27MR.
23:28VENTRELLEY.
23:29Just as –
23:30QUESTION.
23:31Just as –
23:32MR.
23:33VENTRELLEY.
23:34Michelle, just ask that question.
23:35I just walked in.
23:36MR.
23:37VENTRELLEY.
23:38All good.
23:39QUESTION.
23:40Today, Pazishkian, the president-elect, threatened – if you've already answered.
23:41MR.
23:42VENTRELLEY.
23:43I spoke to it a little bit, but I'll give you the Cliff Notes version that I – when
23:45this new inauguration, this new election, certainly we are aware, we are tracking, we
23:49are also tracking the potential formation of a cabinet.
23:54But none of that gives us the expectation or the thinking that there is going to be
23:59a fundamental change in the direction that the Iranian regime is going in or that we
24:05are going to see a more respect for basic human rights from the Iranian regime.
24:09And as I said to D.R., the proof is going to be in actions, in the actions that they
24:14take, not empty words.
24:17QUESTION.
24:18And that's domestic-wise.
24:19What about his threat that if Israel attacks Hezbollah that it will have to face serious
24:29consequences?
24:30MR.
24:31VENTRELLEY.
24:32Well, first, let me just say that Israel has every right to defend itself not only from
24:35terrorism but also defend itself from malign actors like the Iranian regime.
24:42And certainly, this is something that the United States is continuing to pay close attention
24:47to as well.
24:48Go ahead.
24:49QUESTION.
24:51But how do you view the role of Bangladeshi law enforcers' agencies in running a witch
24:54hunt against innocent young people, shooting them under shoot-on-sight orders by the ruling
25:00prime minister, Hasina enforcing key student organizers to give statements after being
25:06tortured while in custody, which are then circulated by the controlled media, especially
25:11when they show visible torture marks?
25:14And I have one follow-up.
25:15MR.
25:16VENTRELLY.
25:17So as it relates to Bangladesh, both in public and private, we continue to call for a lasting
25:22and peaceful resolution to the current situation, and we reiterate our unwavering support for
25:27the freedom of peaceful assembly.
25:29We're aware of some restoration of telecommunications across Bangladesh, but we are calling for
25:36a full and undisrupted public access to internet and social media services.
25:41This will enable people in Bangladesh, including our very own American citizens, to be able
25:45to access critical information.
25:46QUESTION.
25:47I have seen numerous member of the House of Representatives and senators expressing concern
25:52in solidarity with the student protest in Bangladesh.
25:56Congressman Lloyd Doggett described PM Hasina in Bangladesh, screwing student protest as
26:02militant who deserve deadly force.
26:05The only militant is Hasina, who ordered troops in peacekeeping's vehicles to attack
26:11and kill students.
26:12The Biden administration must act boldly against this repression.
26:17What is your response?
26:18MR.
26:19VENTRELLY.
26:20So we, of course, support all efforts for those who want to peacefully protest.
26:25And as it relates to engagement with Congress, I'm not going to speak to specific correspondence,
26:31but we, of course, continue to be deeply responsive to any questions our colleagues
26:35in the Congress might have.
26:36Go ahead.
26:37In the back.
26:38In the white.
26:39Yeah, you.
26:40Yeah.
26:41QUESTION.
26:42Sorry.
26:43MR.
26:44VENTRELLY.
26:45Yeah.
26:46QUESTION.
26:48Celia from VOA Latin America.
26:49MR.
26:50VENTRELLY.
26:51Yeah.
26:52QUESTION.
26:53So just recently, the Maduro government, the lead prosecutor in Venezuela named opposition
26:54leader Maria Corina Machado as the key suspect of the alleged electoral sabotage from last
26:56night.
26:57So is there any concerns by the Administration that she might be a target and possibly be
27:01arrested within the next hours?
27:04Also, some of the OAS members have requested an emergency meeting after the election in
27:10Venezuela.
27:11How the U.S. will approach the meeting, and what is the call after the election?
27:15MR.
27:16VENTRELLY.
27:17Sure.
27:18So first, I don't have anything to preview as it relates to a potential OAS meeting.
27:21Of course, again, OAS is a vital partner, especially as it relates to our foreign policy
27:26in the Western Hemisphere, and we'll continue to engage with them as appropriately.
27:32I will – to your first question, let me just echo what the Secretary said in Tokyo,
27:38in that first, we applaud the Venezuelan people for their participation in the presidential
27:43election and we commend their courageous and commitment to democracy in the face of repression
27:50and adversity.
27:51We've seen the announcement from overnight by the Venezuelan electoral representatives,
27:56and we have serious concerns that this result does not reflect the will and the votes of
28:01the Venezuelan people.
28:02And it's critical that every vote is counted fairly and transparently, and that election
28:07officials immediately share information with the opposition and independent observers without
28:13delay, and that electoral representatives publish the detailed tabulation of votes.
28:18That's what the United States is watching for.
28:21It's what the international community is watching for, and we'll respond accordingly.
28:25I'm not going to speculate on any particular action that might take place in Venezuela.
28:30I will also just so note that this is something that, as I said, countries around the world
28:35are watching very closely to.
28:37I believe within the hour before I came down, you saw a number of seven or eight countries
28:42across Latin America also express serious concern in wanting to see these published
28:50detailed tabulation of votes.
28:51So that's something that we'll continue to focus on.
28:53Just a last follow-up.
28:54So right now we've seen protests in the streets just by the cemetery in Caracas.
28:59It's a line with fire, and then the government is sending now tanks.
29:04Some of the military has refrained from actually engage with the protesters.
29:08Maria Corina Machado, which is the leader of the opposition, has called for peace and
29:12not to protest.
29:14She's actually launching a plan during today events that she's holding.
29:21Is it a concern that this could escalate to a confrontation and that the government will
29:26double down into arrest and violence?
29:29I'm not going to speculate.
29:30Look, we certainly would support anybody's right to peacefully protest and to peacefully
29:35make their opinions and their point of view heard.
29:38And certainly, we would take issue with any kind of violence, especially violence against
29:43those who are peacefully protesting.
29:45But I'm not going to speculate.
29:46Go ahead, in the back.
29:47Yeah, you.
29:48Yeah, you.
29:49Yeah.
29:51As you mentioned, Secretary Blinken was clear that the U.S. has concern that the results
29:55announced yesterday might not reflect the will of the voters in the pool.
29:59But as of today, does the U.S. recognize the results announced yesterday by the Venezuelan
30:05electoral authority?
30:06Yes or no?
30:07I'm sorry, who?
30:08Can you repeat your question?
30:09If today the United States recognize the result announced yesterday.
30:14So I don't – I don't have a – we don't have any announcement to make as it relates
30:19to that.
30:20What we are calling for is the immediate publication of detailed polling results to ensure transparency
30:26and accountability.
30:27It's something that we are looking for as well as other international and regional partners.
30:31Has there been any recent contact among U.S. officials from here, the State Department,
30:37and international observers sent to Caracas as the Brazilian diplomat Celso Amorim or
30:43others?
30:44It's certainly something that we're paying attention closely to.
30:46I don't have any specific calls to read out for you, though.
30:49Go ahead, in the back.
30:51Yeah, go ahead.
30:53The Syrian Democratic Forces, SDP, SDF, declared a general amnesty for detained ISIS members.
31:02Do you have any coordination on this, and how do you look at this?
31:06I'm sorry.
31:07I didn't hear the first part of your question.
31:08Yeah, the Syrian Democratic Forces, SDF, in Syria.
31:11SDF, uh-huh.
31:12Yeah.
31:13So they declared a general amnesty for ISIS members to be released in their prisons.
31:21How do you look at this?
31:23So I'm happy to check back on that.
31:25I'm not tracking that issue.
31:26Broadly, when we have talked about the issues relating to the FDF – SDF, sorry – we've
31:33spoken about the importance of prisoners being able to successfully be repatriated
31:39to their host countries, but I'm happy to check on this specifically.
31:42Separately, recently, there have been new attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq, and do you
31:48think it is a sign that Iranian-backed militias in Iraq are a threat on U.S. assets anytime?
31:55So I'm certainly not going to speak to any threat assessment or get into the details
32:00around that.
32:01But this is something you've heard us talk about before, in that groups, proxies, malign
32:08actors in Iraq who seek to bring harm on American forces or on American installations certainly
32:15need to be held accountable and brought to justice.
32:18It's something that we believe is important.
32:20It's also something that we know that Iraqi officials believe as well.
32:26Alex, go ahead.
32:27Yeah.
32:28Yeah.
32:29Yeah.
32:30Yeah.
32:31Yeah.
32:32Yeah.
32:33Yeah.
32:34Yeah.
32:35Yeah.
32:36Yeah.
32:37Yeah.
32:38Yeah.
32:39Yeah.
32:40Yeah.
32:41Yeah.
32:42Yeah.
32:43Yeah.
32:44Yeah.
32:45Yeah.
32:46Yeah.
32:47Yeah.
32:48Yeah.
32:49Yeah.
32:50Yeah.
32:51Yeah.
32:52Yeah.
32:53Yeah.
32:54Yeah.
32:55Yeah.
32:56Yeah.
32:57And obviously, we expect a publication of the detailed tabulation of votes, and that's
33:00what us and other regional partners are looking for as well.
33:04Yeah.
33:05Also some of the likeminded authorities of certain leaders of Maduro, it's his allies,
33:11are congratulating them, the Putin of the world, Aliyev, others.
33:16Do we think they have compelling information before they jump to their conclusion?
33:20Do you know, Alex, I'm not a spokesperson for those governments, so I will leave it
33:24to them but...
33:26Following the Secretary, we have serious concern about these results and have concerns that
33:31they don't reflect the will and the votes of the Venezuelan people.
33:35That is why it is of great importance that every vote is counted fairly and transparently
33:41and that election officials immediately share information with opposition and independent
33:47observers.
33:48And on top of that, electoral representatives should publish the detailed tabulation of
33:52the votes, and that's what we're looking for.
33:55Let me move to my region.
33:56Yeah.
33:57On Armenia-Azerbaijan, Special Advisor Bano just returned back from the regional.
34:00He was there all last week.
34:02Based on your conversations so far, do you hold any hope in terms of some sort of breakthrough
34:06at this point?
34:07I'm not going to put a timeline on it, Alex.
34:09Of course, this is something that both the Secretary and Coordinator Bano continue to
34:13be deeply engaged on, but I'm not going to – I don't have any specific updates for
34:18you or a timeline to offer.
34:19This is something we're going to continue to work towards.
34:21Can you comment on tomorrow's upcoming meeting between two Chinese Armenian diplomats as
34:26part of their efforts to reconcile it?
34:30No, I don't have anything to preview, Alex.
34:32Again, they're just saying that this is something that the Secretary has been focused
34:35on and will continue to be deeply engaged on it.
34:38Daphne, you've had her hand up.
34:40Go ahead.
34:42Just on Sudan, have you gotten any response from the SAF on whether they'll attend the
34:45August talks in Switzerland?
34:48We have not.
34:49Yeah.
34:50Okay.
34:51Go ahead.
34:52Thank you very much.
34:53Did the U.S. launch any protest with the French Government over the Olympics, starting when
34:59they did the whole insult of Jesus Christians and Muslims?
35:03Sorry, sorry.
35:04Did the United States do what?
35:06Launch any protest with France over the insult of Jesus, what they did during the starting
35:11of Olympics?
35:13Many Christians and Muslims, because Jesus is a Muslim prophet as well.
35:17Any condemnation?
35:18I'm certainly not tracking that there was an insult to Jesus at the beginning of the
35:23Olympics, and certainly not something that we would raise as it relates to the Olympics.
35:29So I don't have anything for you.
35:31Okay.
35:32Congresswoman Nancy Mace has introduced a bill where she has asked that the Taliban
35:37regime in Afghanistan be designated as a terrorist organization.
35:42I don't know if you're aware or not, but TTP on Pakistan's side under the U.S. Justice
35:46Department is a terrorist organization, but Taliban over there are not.
35:50So she has asked this bill.
35:52Do you agree or do you support such a bill, or do you not?
35:56I'm fairly certain the Taliban is a designated terrorist organization, Jaleel.
36:01In Afghanistan – no, no, they are not, sir.
36:03But just so you know that Taliban in Afghanistan are not designated terrorists.
36:07I think you – I don't think that's accurate.
36:10That is the case.
36:11Just last one.
36:12Just last one.
36:13Okay.
36:14Just last one, please.
36:15The Speaker of Parliament's – the Election Commission has moved him to Imran Khan's
36:20party, the PTI.
36:22The election rigging and all the things have been mentioned to you several times.
36:26Are you happy to hear that now justice is being served and the political party has got
36:3193 members back?
36:34So look, Jaleel, as it relates to Pakistani domestic politics, that is certainly not for
36:40us to determine.
36:42That is for the Pakistani people to decide what the United States is always going to
36:47do.
36:48We're going to partner with the government that is in the – serving in the interest
36:51of the Pakistani people and the United States' interest, and that has historically been our
36:57approach to Pakistan.
36:58Goyal, go ahead.
36:59Thank you, sir.
37:00Two questions.
37:01Yeah.
37:02One, thousands of protesters were here when Israeli Prime Minister Mr. Netanyahu was here.
37:11But I want to bring something from my Indian American community and also millions of people
37:17around the globe and here in the U.S.
37:20When a U.S. flag was torn down, insulted, and burned down, and they took out from the
37:28pole and put their own flags, it was condemnation around the globe, including here.
37:34And people are in painful as to see this event here in Washington, D.C.
37:39So what message are Secretary of State or this department is getting from around the
37:44globe diplomatically, and also at the same time, sir, what message you think those protesters
37:50were sending?
37:51So I'm not going to try and get in the mind of what those – message those protesters
37:57were trying to send.
37:59Matt spoke to this a great deal last week.
38:02We of course respect and welcome everyone's right to peacefully protest, to make their
38:07points of view heard.
38:09We certainly would not support or condone the – not just the burning of the American
38:14flag but the replacing it of – replacing it with paraphernalia and flags that are evocative
38:21of Hamas, which is what we saw happen last week.
38:26But again, we support and welcome people's right to peacefully protest, but the scenes
38:30that we saw at Union Station last week, that was certainly not that.
38:35Doc, go ahead.
38:36No, I'm going to have to work with you a little bit.
38:37Go ahead.
38:39Go ahead.
38:40Go ahead.
38:41Go ahead.
38:42Go ahead.
38:43Go ahead.
38:44Go ahead.
38:45Go ahead.
38:46Go ahead.
38:47Go ahead.
38:48Go ahead.
38:49Go ahead.
38:50Go ahead.
38:51Go ahead.
38:52Go ahead.
38:53Go ahead.
38:54Go ahead.
38:55Thank you, Badon.
38:56Yeah.
38:57Why isn't the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, doing its job?
38:58Why has it become a farce?
38:59And what can the U.S. exert to get UNIFIL to stop Hezbollah?
39:00So I will let the United Nations speak to any efforts or any role that they're playing
39:01in Lebanon.
39:02What I can say from the United States perspective is that we are, again, focused on coming
39:07to a durable diplomatic solution that will allow for citizens on both sides of the border
39:12to be able to safely return home.
39:13Okay.
39:14And then once again, Hezbollah has fired thousands of rockets at Israelis, and yet now when Israel
39:21is forced to issue a reprisal, there are calls for restraint against Israel.
39:26Why isn't the U.S. holding Lebanon scot-free in all of this?
39:33And where is Lebanon's army to step Hezbollah?
39:37So let me just be very clear about this.
39:39At the beginning of this briefing, we clearly condemned Lebanese Hezbollah for this attack
39:45on a soccer field, and simultaneously we continue to believe that Israel has every right to
39:50defend itself, especially from terrorism.
39:52All right.
39:53Thanks, everybody.
39:54Yeah, go ahead.
39:55Yeah.
39:56The UN should renew the UNIFIL mandate by the end of this – of next month, August.
40:04Will the U.S. ask for changes in the mandate, or –
40:09I'm happy to check on that, Michel.
40:11I'm happy to check with the team.
40:13I'm not sure the details beyond that, but I'll look and get back to you.
40:17All right.
40:18Thanks, everybody.