US Cheers Hezbollah Leader’s Death, Grapples With Potential for Wider War

The White House and U.S. lawmakers praised the Israeli airstrike that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Sept. 27.

Supporters of the Hezbollah terrorist group listen to leader Hassan Nasrallah in a televised speech in Beirut, Lebanon, on Nov. 11, 2008. Ramzi Haidar/AFP/Getty Images

U.S. lawmakers and officials responded on Sept. 28 to the death of Hassan Nasrallah, longtime leader of the Hezbollah terrorist organization, in a targeted Israeli attack in a Beirut suburb.

Many in Washington hailed Nasrallah’s death as a significant victory against terrorism, while concerns over potential escalations in the Middle East simmered beneath the surface.