The FBI will be assisting with Lebanon’s investigation into the massive explosion that killed more than 170 people in Beirut, according to a top U.S. envoy.
Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale toured the area near the Aug. 4 blast and told reporters that Lebanese officials had reached out and invited the FBI to join the investigation, according to the Associated Press.
“The FBI will soon join Lebanese and international investigators at the invitation of the Lebanese in order to help answer questions that I know everyone has about the circumstances that led up to this explosion,” Hale said on Thursday.
It is not yet clear in what capacity the FBI will be helping with the inquiry or how many officials might be involved. Following Hale’s remarks, the Washington Examiner reached out to the FBI for further details. French officials are also helping with the investigation.
The exact cause of the blast is still under investigation, but it is believed that about 3,750 metric tons of ammonium nitrate was poorly stored at the Port of Beirut for years and exploded, creating a blast equivalent to a minor earthquake with about 10% of the intensity of the nuclear bomb the United States dropped on Hiroshima 75 years ago. The Beirut incident injured more than 6,000 and rendered hundreds of thousands of Lebanese homeless.
An unspecified number of port officials have been placed under house arrest pending an investigation by Lebanese authorities. Officials reportedly warned the government repeatedly, and as early as this year, about the danger of having that quantity of chemicals stored near such a large population center.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah “categorically” denied any involvement from his group, which is heavily supported by Iran. While the many countries in the international community have offered assistance following the explosion, France has taken the lead in organizing international aid to the devastated city.
French President Emmanuel Macron also pushed back on Tehran’s influence in the country and warned Iranian President Hassan Rouhani this week not to interfere in Lebanon’s affairs. Macron’s remarks follow Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab’s Monday announcement that he and his entire Cabinet were resigning in the wake of the catastrophe.
