A senior American official visiting Lebanon announced that his country will participate in the ongoing investigations regarding the Beirut port explosion, and his visit coincides with a visit by the Iranian foreign minister amid internal and international movement to form a new Lebanese government.
David Hale, Assistant US Secretary of State for Political Affairs, said in statements made during his inspection of the blast-affected area yesterday, Gemmayze, that the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) would participate in the investigation at the invitation of Lebanon.
Hill added that American investigators will soon join Lebanese and foreign investigators to help determine the causes and circumstances of the explosion that struck the port on August 4, leaving more than 170 people dead and 6,500 wounded, and causing material losses of about $ 15 billion, according to the latest estimates.
Meanwhile, a team of 38 UN experts in the field of human rights called for an independent and prompt investigation into the explosion, expressing their concern over the culture of "impunity" prevailing in Lebanon.
Lebanese officials confirmed that the explosion at the port resulted from 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate that had been stored since 2014, and the disaster - which exacerbated the anger of the Lebanese people - prompted Hassan Diab's government to resign after about 9 months of taking power.
Lebanese politicians called for an international investigation into the explosion, but President Michel Aoun considered this a waste of time.
In conjunction with the arrival of the US Assistant Secretary of State, Iranian Foreign Minister Muhammad Javad Zarif arrived in Beirut to meet with Lebanese officials in the context of what was described as a solidarity visit following the port explosion, which called for an international conference that resulted in promises of relief aid to Lebanon close to 300 million dollars to be provided through the United Nations and not Through the resigned Lebanese government.
The visit of the American and Iranian officials comes at a time when local and international consultations are taking place to choose a Lebanese government that will temporarily replace the resigned Diab government, and the formation of governments in Lebanon is often linked to regional and international understandings.
Politicians are holding consultations at an early stage on forming a new government, which is a complex process in a country rife with political divisions and governed by a sectarian power-sharing system. The Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, Nabih Berri, called for the acceleration of the formation of a new government.
The state of emergency
In its first session since the port explosion, the Lebanese parliament yesterday approved a two-week state of emergency in Beirut, and ratified the resignation of 8 of its members.
The state of emergency gives the army great powers, including preventing gatherings, imposing curfews and house arrest. Opponents consider that the aim of this step is to suppress protests against the current political class accused of corruption.
On the 5th of this month, the government declared a state of emergency in the capital for a period of two weeks, based on the recommendation of the Supreme Defense Council, in the wake of the Beirut Port explosion.
The government requested the Lebanese army to take the necessary measures to do so, in accordance with the provisions of the laws in the country.
Before the parliament session held yesterday, roads to the UNESCO Palace on the southern outskirts of the capital were closed by metal gates, as the House of Representatives holds its meetings during the Corona crisis, in anticipation of the demonstrators trying to prevent the session from taking place.
Because of the complex consultations, the current caretaker government could remain for several weeks or months to come, and the resigned Prime Minister Hassan Diab had justified his resignation that corruption is greater than the state.