Source: US undermining formation of Lebanon government

The US is exerting efforts to undermine the formation of Lebanese government, Anadolu reported a close aide of Lebanese President Michel Aoun saying.

The aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Anadolu that a Lebanese government would not be formed soon.

“Possibly, there are covert American pressures to undermine the formation of the government,” the aide said.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Al-Hajjar, an MP for the Future Party, said: “There are sides who do not want to translate the French initiative to reality.” He did not name which parties he was referring to.

Al-Hajjar added: “The French initiative for the formation of a technocrat government is still on the table and we should accelerate its implementation.”

On 6 November, Washington imposed sanctions on the former Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, Aoun’s son-in-law, over corruption claims and relations with Hezbollah, Iran and the Syrian regime.

In September, Washington imposed sanctions on two former ministers, Ali Hassan Khalil and Yousef Fenianos, over claims of corruption and supporting Hezbollah.

READ: Lebanon’s president pledges to revive forensic audit of central bank

French President Emmanuel Macron met in August with heads of large Lebanese parties and launched an initiative and issued directives including the formation of a new government and reformation of the banking system.

On 22 October, Aoun nominated Saad Al-Hariri, the head of the Future Party, to form a new government after Mustapha Adib resigned on 26 September.