Lebanon may not survive if its new government fails, the country's powerful Hezbollah faction warned on Sunday, urging the country's divided politicians not to obstruct the cabinet as it seeks to address an unprecedented economic and financial crisis.
Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah also said there was no point in politicians trading blame over the causes of the crisis, after former Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri on Friday accused his rivals of pushing the country to near-collapse.
Banks are curtailing access to deposits, the Lebanese pound has slumped, inflation has spiked and firms are shedding jobs and slashing wages in a financial crisis. Hariri resigned last year amid mass demonstrations against the ruling class.
Hezbollah, heavily armed and backed by Iran, is one of the main backers of Prime Minister Hassan Diab's cabinet which was formed last month after the failure of efforts to establish a new national unity cabinet led by Hariri.