US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo commented on the US administration’s decision to impose sanctions on former Lebanese ministers Youssef Fenianos and Ali Hassan Khalil.

The Lebanese army prevented a group of Syrians and their Lebanese handlers from illicitly leaving the country by sea from the northern city of Tripoli, the official ANI news agency reported.

A US envoy Tuesday said that he hoped to sign a framework agreement in the coming weeks for Lebanon and Israel to start discussing their disputed maritime border.

Lebanon in 2018 signed its first contract to drill for oil and gas in its waters, including a block disputed by its southern neighbour Israel, with which it has fought several wars.

Caretaker Interior Minister Mohammed Fahmi on Tuesday issued a memo revising the duration of the coronavirus nighttime curfew and allowing most sectors to reopen.

According to the memo, the curfew will now begin at 1am instead of 10pm. It will still be lifted at 6am.

The United States on Tuesday slapped sanctions on two former Lebanese ministers for alleged corruption and support of Hizbullah, vowing to isolate the Iran-backed Shiite armed group and political party.

The Treasury Department targeted former finance minister Ali Hassan Khalil and former transport minister Youssef Fenianos but stopped short of targeting any current officials in the nation torn by economic crisis and the aftermath of a deadly explosion in Beirut.

Prime Minister-designate Mustafa Adib held talks Tuesday with President Michel Aoun at the Baabda Palace.

“We are in a period of consultations with the President and we will continue consultations with the rest of the parties,” Adib told reporters after the meeting.

A Lebanese judge leading the probe into Beirut's catastrophic port blast has summoned an outgoing minister and two security agency heads to testify, a judicial source said Tuesday.

A new blaze erupted Tuesday at Beirut port, sparking panic among the citizens of a nation still reeling from the cataclysmic August 4 explosion.

Around two hours later, the army tweeted that the fire had been doused.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Tuesday affirmed strong and old relations between Lebanon and Italy, noting that his country will stand on the front lines regarding the emergency response and the rapid reconstruction of the areas affected by the Beirut explosion.

After meeting President Michel Aoun at Baabda Palace, Conte said “the time has come to look forward and build trust between citizens and institutions in Lebanon, as well as writing a new page in Lebanon’s history.”

President Michel Aoun and UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Stefano Del Col discussed the situation in South Lebanon after the extension of the peacekeeping forces mandate, the National News Agency reported on Tuesday.