US President Donald Trump has extended the national emergency with respect to Lebanon for one year beyond the August 1 expiration date, citing the nation's imports of increasingly deadly weapons from Iran, the White House said in a press release on Wednesday.
"Certain ongoing activities, such as Iran's continuing arms transfers to Hezbollah - which include increasingly sophisticated weapons systems - serve to undermine Lebanese sovereignty, contribute to political and economic instability in the region, and continue to constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States," the release said.
The release also accused Syria of attempting to reassert control over Lebanon through politically motivated violence and intimidation, which undermines Lebanon's democratically elected government.
The United States first declared a national emergency with respect to Lebanon on August 1, 2007, the release said. (Sputnik/)
( With inputs from ANI )