US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Schenker said that “The Lebanese authorities are the ones that declared themselves bankrupt and have refused to take any steps”.

He added to “MTV”: “This is what the World Bank has said, and people like Gebran Bassil and Hezbollah prefer not to present reforms in order to personally benefit from them”.

“The US is not the one blackmailing the Lebanese, but rather the leaders led by Hezbollah; they are depriving Lebanon by not passing reforms in the government in order to prevent additional hours of power supply”, Schenker followed.