White House says Hezbollah leader Aqil had 'American blood on his hands'

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has said that Hezbollah leader Ibrahim Aqil, reportedly killed in an Israeli air strike in Beirut, had "American blood on his hands" and was wanted by the US for his involvement in the 1983 bombing of the US embassy in Beirut and the kidnapping of American and German citizens in the 1980s.

Aqil was under US sanctions, and in 2023 the US State Department offered a reward of up to $7m for information leading to his "identification, location, arrest, and/or conviction".

“He is someone the United States vowed long ago to bring to justice," Sullivan said. “While 1983 might feel distant, many families still deal with its effects every day.”