BEIRUT (Reuters) — Keeping Lebanon without a government is “increasingly irresponsible”, a senior U.N. official said on Wednesday, in tough criticism of Lebanese leaders as their country sinks deeper into crisis without a rescue plan. The Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah, which is sanctioned by the United States and exercises major sway in Beirut, has said Iran’s allies must help exact revenge. “I urge the leaders to move without any further delay.”Lebanon’s worst economic crisis since the 1975-90 civil war has seen the Lebanese pound slump amid a shortage of dollars and banks tightly control access to cash and block transfers abroad. Christian politician Samir Geagea, a staunch Hezbollah critic, said Lebanon faced “a real catastrophe” and officials had wasted three months. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Hezbollah was acting as the hands and eyes of Lebanon.

Source: Egypt Independent January 08, 2020 14:23 UTC