8th local time, Gebran Bassil, chairman of the Lebanese Free National Front, gave a televised speech in response to the US sanctions. Basil cited the fact that the United States has long pressured the party to abandon Hezbollah since the 1990s, criticized the United States for never supporting Lebanon in solving the corruption problem, and refused to help Lebanon recover the stolen money transferred abroad.
Basil asked the U.S. whether he would still be accused of corruption if he really severed ties with Hezbollah. Basil emphasized that his party will not follow the instructions of any foreign government, let alone serve as a spokesperson for external forces, hoping to develop new friendly relations with the new US government.
Basil served as the foreign minister of Saad Hariri’s government. According to reports, the U.S. Treasury Department accused Basile of corruption on the 6th, provided political cover for Hezbollah, and announced financial sanctions against it, including freezing all its assets in the United States, and requiring Lebanese banks with U.S. dollar business to freeze their assets in Lebanon.
