US Denies Involvement in Lebanon Pager Explosions Amid Rising Regional Tensions

The US has denied any involvement in a series of pager explosions in Lebanon, which killed eight and injured nearly 3,000. US officials are gathering information while urging all parties, including Iran, not to escalate tensions. Hezbollah has called the incident its 'biggest security breach.'

In the aftermath of a series of deadly pager explosions in Lebanon, the United States has categorically denied any involvement or prior knowledge of the incident. US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, during a press briefing on Tuesday, stated that the US is currently gathering information about the explosions, which resulted in eight fatalities and left 2,750 people injured, according to Lebanon's Health Minister.

"We are gathering information on this incident. I can tell you that the US was not involved in it. The US was not aware of this incident in advance," Miller confirmed. He refrained from speculating about the possible involvement of other nations, including Israel, and emphasized the US's commitment to a diplomatic resolution to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

The incident, described by a Hezbollah official as the organization's "biggest security breach" in nearly a year, has led to heightened tensions in the region. Reports from Al Jazeera indicate that the blasts were caused by exploding handheld pagers and radios, with some attributing the cause to an Israeli cyber attack. While Iran's ambassador to Lebanon was injured in the blasts, US officials have urged Iran not to use the incident to further destabilize the region.

(With inputs from agencies.)