Lebanon on Friday marks 20 years since former prime minister Rafik Hariri’s assassination amid seismic political changes that have weakened Hezbollah and its backers and could herald a comeback for Hariri’s son Saad.
Memorial in remembrance of Rafik Hariri at the very site of the attack in downtown Beirut © Mena Today
Lebanon on Friday marks 20 years since former prime minister Rafik Hariri’s assassination amid seismic political changes that have weakened Hezbollah and its backers and could herald a comeback for Hariri’s son Saad.
Rafik Hariri, a towering political figure, had resigned as premier when a suicide bombing targeted his convoy in Beirut, killing him and 21 others on February 14, 2005.
In 2022, a UN-backed court sentenced two Hezbollah members in absentia to life imprisonment for the bombing that killed him, though the terror group has refused to hand them over.
His son Saad, who served twice as prime minister, is based in the United Arab Emirates but has again returned for the annual commemorations for his father.
The United States welcomed "constructive" discussions between Israeli and Lebanese military delegations at the Pentagon on Friday, following nine hours of talks aimed at advancing the security track of ongoing peace negotiations between the two countries.
Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter has outlined Israel's vision for a negotiated resolution with Lebanon, in an interview with This is Beirut.
The U.S. said on Thursday it has imposed new sanctions on Iran's military oil trade, even as Washington and Tehran reached a tentative agreement to extend their ceasefire and lift restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
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