The Lebanese president called for speeding up the investigation into the Beirut port bombing, saying his country was now trapped in a corrupt political, financial and administrative system.

Iran PressMiddle East: Speaking on the anniversary of the independence of his country, on Saturday, Aoun said that Lebanon is trapped in a rent-seeking economy, and called for speeding up the investigation into the Beirut port explosion.

On August 4, a large explosion destroyed the port and part of downtown Beirut, killing at least 190 people.

The Lebanese president said that a powerful country is not formed in the shadow of corruption, adding: "real independence will not be achieved in a country whose economy is run by foreign countries, and government institutions and organizations must be freed from the influence of politicians and political currents."

He also criticized the efforts of some Arab countries to establish relations with the Zionist regime and said: "The normalization of relations between some Arab countries and Israel means an implicit appeasement towards al-Quds." 219