The long-serving speaker of Lebanon’s parliament, Nabih Berri, told visiting US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday that US sanctions on the Hezbollah group were having a “negative impact on Lebanon and the Lebanese.” Berri told Pompeo that Hezbollah is a Lebanese party in the government and parliament. The speaker also added that the movement’s armed “resistance” against Israel was a result of continuing Israeli occupation of Lebanese territory, Reuters reports. Pompeo “highlighted US concerns about Hezbollah’s destabilizing activities in Lebanon and the region and the risks posed to Lebanon’s security, stability and prosperity,” a US spokesman said.