Ex-Hezbollah minister reportedly named as president's reconstruction adviser
Former public works and transportation minister Ali Hamie, who was named by Hezbollah to the previous government, has been appointed as President Josep Aoun’s adviser for reconstruction affairs, media reports said on Tuesday.
The president had told a Hezbollah delegation last week that “there is no link between (Hezbollah’s) weapons and reconstruction, explaining the role of a ministerial committee tasked with preparing a reconstruction study,” sources told Al-Jadeed television.
Aoun added that he was seeking to hold an international conference with the participation of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the U.S., France and Egypt to rally support for Lebanon’s reconstruction process.
Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji reportedly told visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday that “there will be no reconstruction funds without disarming Hezbollah.”
Araghchi for his part said after meeting Speaker Nabih Berri that Iranian companies are ready to take part in Lebanon’s reconstruction if the Lebanese government wants that.
Araghchi’s visit comes after Iran’s main Lebanese ally, Hezbollah, was weakened by a 14-month war with Israel that left much of the Iran-backed group’s political and military leadership dead.
Araghchi’s visit is his first since October, which came at the height of the Israel-Hezbollah war that ended a month later with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire. The war killed more than 4,000 in Lebanon, displaced over 1 million people and caused destruction that the World Bank said will coast $11 billion in reconstruction.
03 June 2025, 18:51
03
La Cage au Folles:
This president and prime minister are the worst ever! Stealing from people and honest taxpayers after impoverishing them & making worthless their life savings to SUBSIDIZE A CRIMINAL MILITIA created, funded & armed by Iran radicals. A militia that destroyed our economy and institutions, assassinated Lebanon’s best, and still spending billions of dollars (from illicit trades, tax evasion & money laundering) on arms while people can’t afford food or medicine. Aoun/Salam are acting as Hizb Useful Idiots and are a total disgrace. Salam spreading the red carpet to Berri (dean of political corruption, opposite of Imam Saddr, worst curse on Shia) & Hizb criminals instead of putting them in jail and seizing all their properties to compensate their million victims is an insult to every Lebanese and honest Shia. Assigning Hizb as reconstruction advisor is beyond belief. Stealing from victims to help criminals. Hope this nightmare is over soon!
