The streets of Lebanon flared up following Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri’s resignation on 15 July. Riots and road blockades were reported across the country, as protesters faced off against the army in the capital Beirut. The social explosion came to a head after Hariri offered an apology for failing to form a government earlier in the day, which also caused the exchange rate of the Lebanese pound against the US dollar to soar to a record 20,000 liras. During a televised interview following his resignation, Hariri claimed that President Michel Aoun’s ties to Hezbollah represent “the main problem today in the country”, taking to social media later to blame Aoun for his failure to form a government.

انا لا استطيع ان اقدم تشكيلة للحكومة ورئيس الجمهورية لا يريد اعطاء الثقة بل يريد الثلث المعطل، وكلكم تعرفون ان هذه ليست طريقة لتشكيل الحكومة#الله_يعين_البلد

— Saad Hariri (@saadhariri) July 15, 2021

سعد الحريري لانه سني وطني ممنوع عليه أن يسمي الوزراء فقط الرئيس عون يحق له ان يسمي! #الله_يعين_البلد

— Saad Hariri (@saadhariri) July 15, 2021