US President Donald Trump on Sunday called for Lebanon to conduct a "full and transparent investigation" into the huge explosion that hit Beirut last week.
Trump "urged the Government of Lebanon to conduct a full and transparent investigation, in which the United States stands ready to assist," the White House said, according to AFP, after he participated in a virtual conference on the international response to the disaster.
"The President called for calm in Lebanon and acknowledged the legitimate calls of peaceful protesters for transparency, reform, and accountability," the White House added.
The Lebanese army said Sunday that hopes have dwindled of finding survivors at the blast site following days of search-and-rescue operations.
The explosion that hit Beirut's port devastated large parts of the Lebanese capital, claiming over 150 lives and wounding some 6,000 people.
Most Lebanese authorities say Tuesday's explosion was triggered by a fire in a port warehouse, where a shipment of ammonium nitrate, a chemical that can be used as a fertilizer or as an explosive, had languished for years.
However, Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Friday hinted that the blast may have been caused by a bomb or other “external interference.”
On Thursday, a total of 16 employees at the Port of Beirut were detained in connection with the deadly explosion.