Hezbollah accuses US of meddling in Lebanon’s port probe

By SARAH EL DEEB
Associated Press

BEIRUT (AP) — Hezbollah has accused the U.S. of interfering in Lebanon’s investigation into last year’s massive explosion at the Beirut port, with the aim of implicating the militant group and its allies. A Hezbollah lawmaker’s response Wednesday to criticism from a State Department spokesperson comes amid a developing crisis engulfing the domestic probe. The investigation was temporarily suspended Tuesday amid legal challenges from defendants against the lead investigator. The Hezbollah lawmaker says the U.S. official’s comments are a “blatant violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty” that expose “the extent of interference aimed at controlling and steering the investigation.”