Hizbullah Says Working to Form Gov’t, Head Off Collapse in Lebanon

Senior Hizbullah official Ibrahim Amin al-Sayyed said on Thursday that the group was working to remove obstacles to a deal on a new government. Lebanon’s government has been nonfunctional since October, when then-prime minister Saad al-Hariri stepped down amid widespread protests over allegations of corruption and incompetence. The political turmoil has also plunged the country into a deep economic crisis, which could be spiraling out of control. The Lebanese pound weakened again in recent days on the parallel market: dollars were being offered at 2,400 pounds on Thursday – 60% weaker than its official peg of 1,507.5 pounds. The situation has only worsened with sharply rising tensions and violence between the US and Hizbullah’s patron, Iran. With the country on the edge of an economic abyss, Sayyed said that no one, including Hizbullah, wanted a “government of confrontation” in Lebanon, and that “we are carrying a very important and exhausting role to reach an agreement as soon as possible to prevent this collapse.” Hizbullah, classified by the US as a terrorist organization, has seen its political power grow in recent years, particularly since it and allied parties won a parliamentary majority in 2018.