Lebanon’s Berri: 'Internal' Hurdles Are Obstructing Govt Formation

File photo. Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri during a visit to Lebanon's President (NNA)
File photo. Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri during a visit to Lebanon's President (NNA)
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Lebanon’s Berri: 'Internal' Hurdles Are Obstructing Govt Formation

File photo. Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri during a visit to Lebanon's President (NNA)
File photo. Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri during a visit to Lebanon's President (NNA)

Lebanon's parliament speaker Nabih Berri broke his silence Monday by indirectly holding President Michel Aoun responsible for the delay in forming a new government by demanding a blocking third.

"Following the incidents in Tripoli and the statement of the spiritual leaders who called to rescue the country and the Lebanese starting with the formation of a government of specialists, we are keen to clarify to the public opinion that the obstacle to forming a government is not external but internal," Berri said in a statement.

Within this context, he underlined that nobody was entitled to the "blocking third."

The speaker stressed that he would not lose hope and that he would continue his government formation efforts.

Aoun’s media office was quick to respond to Berri’s statements, denying the accusations.

“Political and media sources insist on promoting that the President is demanding the “blocking third” in the upcoming government, which led to delaying its formation, despite the statements and stances which confirm the invalidity of such allegations, which were issued by the Presidential Palace on different dates, last of which was on the 22nd of last January.”

The office also said that Aoun, who had never asked for the blocking third, is keen to exercise his constitutional rights in naming Ministers of the Government who are skilled and competent.



Syrian Wildfires Spread Due to Heavy Winds and War Remnants

 A Turkish helicopter drops water on the flames as it helps fight a wildfire near the town of Rabia, in Syria's Latakia countryside, early Monday, July 7, 2025. (AP)
A Turkish helicopter drops water on the flames as it helps fight a wildfire near the town of Rabia, in Syria's Latakia countryside, early Monday, July 7, 2025. (AP)
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Syrian Wildfires Spread Due to Heavy Winds and War Remnants

 A Turkish helicopter drops water on the flames as it helps fight a wildfire near the town of Rabia, in Syria's Latakia countryside, early Monday, July 7, 2025. (AP)
A Turkish helicopter drops water on the flames as it helps fight a wildfire near the town of Rabia, in Syria's Latakia countryside, early Monday, July 7, 2025. (AP)

Syrian firefighters are facing heavy winds, high temperatures and ordnance left behind from the 13-year civil war as they try to extinguish some of country's worst wildfires in years, a government minister said Monday.

The fires, which started last week, have proven difficult to bring under control despite reinforcements from Jordan, Türkiye and Lebanon that came to the war-torn country to help Syrian teams fight the blaze.

Syrian Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management Raed al-Saleh said their main challenges are two locations in the coastal province of Latakia that they have been trying to control for two days.

“We have controlled other locations,” al-Saleh told The Associated Press at the scene.

On the second day of the fire, firefighters managed to get 90% of the wildfires under control but explosions of left-over war ordnance and heavy winds helped spread the fires again, al-Saleh said. He added that 120 teams are fighting the blazes.

On Monday, the Lebanese army said it sent two helicopters to help fight the fires in coordination with Syrian authorities.

Over the weekend, UN teams deployed to the Syrian coast where they are conducting urgent assessments to determine the scale of the damage and to identify the most immediate humanitarian needs.

Summer fires are common in the eastern Mediterranean region, where experts warn that climate change is intensifying conditions that then lead to blazes.

Also, below-average rainfall over the winter left Syrians struggling with water shortages this summer, as the springs and rivers that normally supply much of the population with drinking water have gone dry.