Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat stated on Tuesday that he has no trouble to elect head of the Change and Reform bloc MP Michel Aoun as president.

“I have no problem to elect Aoun as president for the Republic as it will change nothing of Lebanon’s difficulties,” said Jumblat in an interview to the As Safir daily.

United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon has urged Iran to help swiftly resolve the presidential deadlock in Lebanon.

During a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, Ban "underscored the need for Lebanon's presidential vacuum to be filled as quickly as possible," his office said on Monday.

Agriculture Minister Akram Shehayyeb stated on Monday that the garbage crisis cannot tolerate any more delay, stressing that preparations to gear up the Srar landfill to meet scientific standards and reopen the Naameh landfill continue.

“The trash crisis does no tolerate political luxury. Everyone must know that if we failed to solve the garbage crisis then nothing else will be solved in the country,” Shehayyeb told An Nahar daily.

Relatives of the kidnapped servicemen taken hostage by the Islamic State and al-Nusra Front blocked the Banks street in Riad al-Solh square on Sunday protesting the delay in efforts to free their sons.

“We have heard nothing about our sons since eight months. We have information that the crisis cell is exerting no efforts currently,” they stated.

Social affairs Minister Rashid Derbas stressed on Sunday that PM Tammam Salam is holding intensive contacts with Speaker Nabih Berri to overcome the obstacles hampering a cabinet convention.

“Prime Minister Tammam Salam will call for a cabinet convention following the successive dialogue sessions. He is holding contacts with the Speaker to get over the obstacles,” the state-run National News Agency quoted Derbas.

U.S. ambassador to Lebanon David Hale stated on Friday that his country is doubling the baseline amount of U.S. military assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces this year compared to last.

“America believes that the army is the sole institution with the legitimacy and mandate to defend the country and its people. To fulfill its mission, it must have the necessary equipment and training,” said Hale after meeting PM Tammam Salam at the Grand Serail.

The U.N. chief's Deputy Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Philippe Lazzarini, has lamented that the response of the international community to the needs of Syrian refugees in Lebanon and other countries is weak.

In an interview with An Nahar daily published on Wednesday, Lazzarini said: “The response does not meet the needs.”

Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon has warned that Israel will not tolerate advanced weapons reaching Hizbullah, which has fought alongside Syrian troops.

“Those who try to violate our sovereignty – we will strike them, and those who try to transfer advanced weapons to terror elements, with an emphasis on Hizbullah, we will strike them, and those who try to transfer chemical weapons to terror elements, we will strike them,” Yaalon said on Tuesday during a visit to Gaza-border communities.

Prime Minister Tammam Salam disclosed on Monday that he supports the demands of the civil society, slamming accusations that the demonstrations are orchestrated from abroad.

“The demands of the civil society are righteous, I am probably somewhere in support of their demands and I'm not with the political forces in this matter,” Salam told the pan-Arab al-Hayat daily.

Al-Mustaqbal movement leader Saad Hariri criticized on Saturday Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's position saying that the latter has linked the fate of Lebanon's presidency to that in Syria, dimming the hopes to have a head of state.

“Sayyed Hassan has announced that Lebanon will not have a president before knowing the fate of the presidency in Syria,” said Hariri via twitter.