U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stated that "Washington is studying and utilizing all available diplomatic tools," in response to the possibility of imposing sanctions on Lebanese Speaker Nabih Berri. In a press conference, Miller pointed out that "as a general practice, we do not discuss any potential sanctions, but I will say that the administration is studying and utilizing all available diplomatic tools to encourage Lebanese politicians to agree and elect a president as soon as possible."
In response to a question about whether the U.S. State Department is grateful to Speaker Berri, who was contacted earlier this week by Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland, who thanked him for his willingness to try to maintain quorum in the parliament and hold an open session for the parliament last Wednesday to elect a president, but failed to achieve that, Miller said: "We were disappointed by this outcome."
He added: "We welcome the voting that took place, but we are concerned that the members left the session to prevent further voting rounds after more than seven months without a president," emphasizing that "the Lebanese people deserve more than just one voting session. They urgently need a president who can implement reforms to unlock support from the International Monetary Fund. For that to happen, we believe the parliament must continue to hold electoral sessions in the coming days and weeks."
Regarding whether the United States considers the Speaker of the Parliament a friend or ally, Miller replied: "I will not answer that question other than to say: we generally do not support or comment on any specific political figure or party out of respect for Lebanon's sovereignty; we will work with any government chosen by the Lebanese people."
