Lebanese president says ‘foreign interference’ possible in Beirut blast

Aug 7, 2020

Lebanese President Michel Aoun said Tuesday’s catastrophic explosion could have been the result of “foreign interference.”

On Aug. 4, a massive explosion ripped through Beirut, killing more than 150 and injuring thousands. The blast destroyed much of Beirut’s port and the surrounding neighborhoods. It was so big that it damaged buildings several miles outside of the city. Investigations so far have concluded that 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate, a fertilizer, caught fire and then exploded. Many in Lebanon are livid at the government for its apparent negligence in storing the highly explosive material so close to the country’s major population center.

Aoun said that the government would determine who was responsible and that no one is immune to investigation in remarks reported by Lebanese media outlets on Friday.

The president stated that the explosion was the result of “negligence or foreign interference through a missile or bomb,” indicating his belief that the explosion may not have been accidental.

Lebanon has requested satellite images from France to help with its investigation, according to Aoun. French President Emmanuel Macron visited Beirut yesterday and locals chanted anti-Lebanese government slogans at him.