Washington has reportedly begun “tough” measures for Lebanese wishing to travel to the United States, the Saudi Asharq al-Awsat reported on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri assured that the government is working seriously to close all illegal crossings and smuggling routes between Lebanon and Syria, stressing that smugglers will be brought to justice.

A general legislative session was held in Parliament on Tuesday during which a dispute erupted between Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Strong Lebanon bloc lawmakers over a clause on the construction of a water dam in the northern region of Dinnieh.

Speaker Nabih Berri told the US Treasury Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing Marshall Billingslea during a meeting on Monday that Lebanon “won’t compromise its national interest,” the National News Agency reported on Tuesday.

The Cabinet formed on Monday a ministerial committee led by Prime Minister Saad Hariri to discuss the budget reforms, in one of successive sessions devoted to discussing the country’s 2020 budget finances.

President Michel Aoun and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed on the importance of continuing to strengthen cooperation between Lebanon and France and the commitment to consolidate Lebanese-French relations, the National News Agency reported on Monday.

A US official warned Lebanese politicians that future US sanctions would target any party suspected of providing "material" support to the Iran-backed Hizbullah movement, a Lebanese source told AFP.

Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh on Monday appeased concerns about the availability of the dollar currency in Lebanon’s banking sector, and brushed off fears about the visit of a US government official to Lebanon.

An Iranian cleric on Monday said that Iran is bigger than the “geographical” boundaries surrounding it and that the presence of armed factions supported by Iran in the Middle East, including “Hizbullah in Lebanon, are part of Iran,” the ISNA Iranian news agency said on Monday.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri is to meet with Syndicate of Gas Station Owners to counter a fuel crisis against the backdrop of lack of dollars needed to pay for the oil they purchase.

Al-Joumhouria daily said the sector opts for escalating measures and threatens to kick off an "open-ended" strike.