US' Esper says 'most believe' Beirut blast an accident

World 12:55 06.08.2020

"Most believe" a devastating bomb blast that rocked the Lebanese capital "was an accident," Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Wednesday after US President Donald Trump claimed it was an attack, EDNews.net reports citing Yeni Safak. 

Addressing the virtual Aspen Security Forum, Esper said he is "still getting information on what happened" in Beirut, and did not elaborate on his comments about the explosion's origins.

But he said the Pentagon is preparing to deploy US aid as Lebanon grapples with the devastating repercussions.

"We’re positioning ourselves to provide them with whatever assistance we can, humanitarian aid, medical supplies, you name it, to assist the people of Lebanon. It’s the right thing to do," Esper said.

Trump claimed Tuesday the tragedy was a bombing rather than an explosion, saying it was the appraisal offered to him by US generals.

Asked if he was confident in his assessment the blast was an attack and not an accident, Trump said "it would seem like it, based on the explosion."

"I met with some of our great generals, and they just seem to feel that it was. This was not some kind of a manufacturing explosion type of event," he said. "They would know better than I would, but they seem to think it was an attack, it was a bomb of some kind."

Lebanese officials raised the death toll to 135 Wednesday, saying nearly 5,000 victims were injured and dozens remain missing.

A fire at a warehouse containing explosives at the Port of Beirut led to the massive blast on Tuesday, causing damage in several neighborhoods in the capital.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun cited ammonium nitrate as the source of the explosion which leveled a three-story building and was heard across the city and its suburbs.

The Supreme Defense Council in Lebanon declared Beirut a disaster-stricken city and announced a state of emergency in the capital for two weeks.

The explosion deepens the woes of the Mediterranean country as it grapples with one of its worst economic crises and, like much of the world, is battling the coronavirus pandemic.

IEPF issued a statement regarding Azerbaijani children at the UN Human Rights Council

News line

ACWA Power reveals investment in wind farm in Azerbaijan
11:00 02.07.2025
Secretary-general's rep: UN aware of Azerbaijan-Russia tensions
10:45 02.07.2025
Pakistan assumes UN Security Council presidency for July
10:30 02.07.2025
UN agencies warn of deepening hunger crisis for Sudanese refugees
10:15 02.07.2025
Trump doubts trade deal with Japan, saying 'They're very tough'
10:00 02.07.2025
French Prime Minister Bayrou survives 8th no-confidence vote in parliament
09:55 02.07.2025
Trump says Lara Trump would be 'great' for North Carolina Senate seat
09:45 02.07.2025
Anar Bagirov: Barbarity being committed against Azerbaijanis in Russia
09:30 02.07.2025
Drone attack in Russia's Udmurtia leaves three dead, dozens injured
20:15 01.07.2025
Billionaire Musk vows to launch new political party if controversial Trump bill passes Congress
20:00 01.07.2025
Broken Friendship: Azerbaijan–Russia Relations INTERVIEW
19:40 01.07.2025
Baku to host D-8 Youth Forum in July
19:30 01.07.2025
Speaker: Armenia should seriously begin discussing issue of stopping broadcasting Russian TV channels
19:20 01.07.2025
Russian Foreign Ministry: Azerbaijani envoy handed verbal note
19:15 01.07.2025
Azerbaijan signs $173.5M loan agreement with WB for renewable energy project
19:00 01.07.2025
Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan ink several documents to diversify economic partnership
18:45 01.07.2025
Another group of Ukrainian children arrive in Azerbaijan for rehabilitation
18:15 01.07.2025
IEPF Launches a Series of Trainings for NGOs
18:14 01.07.2025
Sahil Babayev: Azerbaijan aims to become green energy exporter
18:00 01.07.2025
Azerbaijani minister: Youth action plan to be drafted at international event in Aghdam
17:45 01.07.2025
Azerbaijan launches criminal case into killing of Azerbaijani brothers in Russia
17:30 01.07.2025
European diplomats visit West Bank town after deadly attack by Israeli settlers
17:15 01.07.2025
Poland’s president calls on gov’t to stop entry of migrants from Germany
17:00 01.07.2025
Artists, writers urge UK government not to ban pro-Palestine group
16:45 01.07.2025
China's Communist Party tops 100 million members in ‘significant milestone’
16:30 01.07.2025
China says ‘complicated’ boundary dispute with India will take time to resolve
16:15 01.07.2025
Severe weather batters Italy, leaving two dead and multiple regions on alert
16:00 01.07.2025
Azerbaijan detains Russian citizens in Baku suspected of drug trafficking, online fraud
15:50 01.07.2025
China sanctions former Philippines senator over 'egregious conduct' on Beijing-related issues
15:30 01.07.2025
Meta fined over $512,000 by Taiwan for lack of transparency over advertisers
15:15 01.07.2025
Trump says Musk would ‘head back to South Africa’ without US subsidies for EVs
15:00 01.07.2025
Azerbaijani brothers murdered in Russia hit with blunt instrument, examinations reveal
14:45 01.07.2025
Kazakhstan commends top-tier organization of ECO Youth Forum in Azerbaijan's Aghdam
14:30 01.07.2025
U.S. Charge d'Affaires hails Azerbaijan’s support in ensuring safe evacuation country's citizens from Iran
14:15 01.07.2025
Slovakia appoints Azerbaijani native as ambassador to Baku
14:00 01.07.2025
Fitch reveals forecast for Azerbaijan's state budget deficit in 2025
13:45 01.07.2025
WSJ: Amazon is on the cusp of using more robots than Humans in its warehouses
13:30 01.07.2025
Politico: EC ready to allow countries to restrict access to social networks by age
13:15 01.07.2025
Azerbaijani brothers murdered in Russia hit with blunt instrument, examinations reveal
13:00 01.07.2025
Azerbaijani official elected vice-president of international conference
12:45 01.07.2025
Hamısı