Reports in multiple Middle Eastern outlets suggested on Sunday that Lebanon’s Prime Minister Hassan Diab may soon step down following the mass resignations of nine lawmakers and four of the nation’s 20 ministers. A third of ministers must resign for the government to collapse.
Lebanese, Israeli, Saudi, and Iranian outlets appeared to agree that, should Diab resign, he is planning on doing so Monday afternoon local time.
The mass resignations followed a devastating explosion near the Port of Beirut last Tuesday that destroyed blocks of the densely populated capital, resulting in over 150 deaths, an unknown number of missing people, and an estimated 300,000 people left homeless. UNICEF estimated last week that, of those displaced, 80,000 are children. The blast occurred amid an economic collapse that has seen the value of Lebanon’s currency plummet and growing concerns about food security in the country.
Following the blast, Diab said in a national address that authorities had traced the explosion to a cache of over 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate kept in a warehouse near the port after being confiscated from a ship in 2013. Ammonium nitrate is a highly combustible material used to make fertilizer and industrial explosives but also coveted by terrorist groups like Hezbollah for use in making bombs.
Following Diab’s revelation, reports confirmed that Lebanese officials did confiscate thousands of tons of ammonium nitrate in 2013 and that port managers attempted to move it somewhere safer at least six times before the blast, but did not receive any significant response from the Lebanese government. No evidence of foul play or deliberate terrorism has surfaced, though Lebanese President Michel Aoun began floating the theory that a foreign state or entity had bombed the port as protests against his government erupted.
Lebanese citizens had already been taking to the streets to protest their government’s incompetence for a year before the explosion. Lebanese Foreign Minister Nassif Hitti resigned the morning before the explosion, calling Lebanon a “failed state.”
Multiple outlets – including Saudi Arabia’s al-Arabiya, Iran Press, and Israel’s i24 News – reported on Monday that Diab may soon exit the prime ministership, which he assumed less than a year ago.
Al-Arabiya claimed that Lebanese media reported on Sunday that Diab had spoken to Aoun about announcing his resignation this week. The Lebanese cabinet is scheduled to meet in its entirety on Monday. The Iran Press report echoed al-Arabiya’s findings, notable given that Saudi Arabia and Iran are regional rivals whose media outlets often contradict each other.
Israel’s i24 News cited Sky News Arabia in stating that Diab would announce his resignation on Monday.
>”It remained to be seen if Diab would follow suit and how Lebanon’s political structure will develop from there – accused by many Lebanese citizens as being immersed in corruption,” i24 noted.
Diab issued remarks publicly on Sunday to the network ITV, insisting that he would address the Lebanese people personally and accept their anger towards the government soon.
“I don’t mind meeting the people. I am part of the people. I don’t have a problem doing that,” Diab insisted, asked directly if he would make a public appeared in the most devastated residential areas. “There is no doubt that there is a lot of corruption over a period of three decades. There is a political layer that has been from over 3 and 4 decades.”
“I’m not afraid of people’s fury … absolutely they have a right to be angry and furious, not just because of this – this is absolutely diabolical what happened – but, however, they were also furious even before that for three decades of unbelievable corruption,” Diab said.
Diab reportedly stated that he believed Lebanon needed to hold elections early to give citizens an outlet to express their outrage over the explosion.
Lebanon has lost its environment minister, justice minister, finance minister, and information minister in the past two days. Former Environment Minister Damianos Kattar dismissed the government as a “sterile regime” and cited the “enormous catastrophe” last week as the immediate reason for his departure.
Lebanon’s ambassador to Jordan also resigned this week to distance herself from the government.
Iran’s PressTV reported that pro-Iranian members of the council of ministers asserted that they would not allow the government to collapse.
“Our government is strong. We continue our efforts and are committed to carrying out our responsibilities towards the people,” Labor Minister Lamia Yammine reportedly insisted. PressTV also quoted Minister of Industry Imad Hoballah stating that he would not submit to “blackmailing” attempts to leave power.
Those affected by the explosion have been organizing protests against the government for the past week, demanding everyone in power resign. During a visit to affected areas by French President Emmanuel Macron last week – who visited the site before Aoun – throngs of people surrounded him urging France to act against their own government, chanting slogans like “Michel Aoun is a terrorist.”
Lebanese security forces responded to ongoing protests this weekend by using tear gas and other violent tactics to subdue the protesters, many of which are those directly affected by the blast. Protesters hanged the head of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, in effigy and authorities blamed them for fires near Beirut’s parliament center.
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