(MENAFN) Marking five years since the devastating Beirut port blast, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun pledged on Monday to pursue justice without exceptions. In a statement shared by the presidency on social media, Aoun called the August 4, 2020 explosion “a major crime that shook the conscience of the nation and the world,” which claimed over 200 lives, injured thousands, and leveled entire neighborhoods in the capital.

He affirmed that Lebanon’s institutions are determined to uncover the full truth, “regardless of obstacles or the rank of those involved,” and insisted that “Justice will not die, and accountability is inevitable.” Aoun stressed that holding those responsible remains a key national focus and promised continued pressure on authorities to guarantee transparent and fair investigations that bring perpetrators to justice.

The U.S. Embassy in Beirut also expressed solidarity with the Lebanese people’s call for accountability, highlighting the need for “an independent and impartial judicial system that delivers justice for the victims, not protections for the elites.” It reaffirmed support for a sovereign and stable Lebanon shaped by its citizens, free from external interference.

The blast, one of the most powerful non-nuclear explosions in history, killed more than 220 people, wounded over 7,000, and inflicted widespread damage amid an ongoing economic crisis. Official reports attribute the disaster to an explosion in Warehouse 12, where approximately 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate had been stored since 2014 after being confiscated from a ship.

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