US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Friday warned other countries and groups against using Lebanon as a vehicle for a larger proxy fight in the Middle East.

:: US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Friday warned other countries and groups against using Lebanon as a vehicle for a larger proxy fight in the Middle East, saying the United States strongly backed Lebanon’s independence.

“There is no legitimate place or role in Lebanon for any foreign forces, militias or armed elements other than the legitimate security forces of the Lebanese state,” Tillerson said in a statement released on Friday by the US State Department.

The United States views Hariri as a ‘strong partner’, added Tillerson.

The French Foreign Ministry also issued a statement that France wants Saad al-Hariri to be fully able to play his essential role in Lebanon.