Lebanon marks 20th anniversary of Rafik Hariri's assassination amid political shifts

BEIRUT (AP) — Thousands of supporters gathered in downtown Beirut on Friday to mark the 20th anniversary of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri’s assassination, which comes amid seismic regional political shifts.

The ousting of Bashar Assad in December after 54 years of family rule in Syria marked the fall of a government long accused of orchestrating Hariri’s assassination and other political killings in Lebanon.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah — whose members were convicted by a U.N.-backed tribunal for their role in Hariri’s murder — now faces its own turning point following the assassination of its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, in an Israeli airstrike in September. Nasrallah’s funeral is set for February 23.

“This is the beginning of justice. If the justice of the earth did not serve us, no one escapes the justice of heaven," said Hariri’s son, former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, as he addressed a huge crowd in the capital Beirut.

"After 20 years, Rafik Hariri’s project is continuing, and those who tried to kill the project, look where they are now," Saad added.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, appointed in early February, visited Hariri’s burial site Friday.

“Today, we remember the legacy of the great martyr in serving Lebanon, preserving its national unity, and working for its prosperity,” Salam wrote on X. “He was greatly respected in the Arab world and the world, leaving Lebanon with a remarkable moral and political legacy.”

Lebanon’s president Joseph Aoun also paid tribute to Hariri, saying on X that Hariri's "national stances were a fundamental building block in strengthening national unity and protecting civil peace.”

Hariri was killed on Feb. 14, 2005, when a massive bomb exploded near the St. Georges Hotel, a historic landmark on Beirut’s waterfront. The blast killed 21 other people and injured over 200.

In 2020, a U.N.-backed tribunal convicted one member of the Hezbollah militant group and acquitted three others of involvement in the assassination. The Special Tribunal for Lebanon said Salim Ayyash was guilty as a co-conspirator of five charges linked to his involvement in the suicide truck bombing.

None of the suspects was ever arrested or attended court to hear the verdicts.

The assassination of Hariri ignited the “Cedar Revolution,” leading to massive protests against Syria’s nearly three-decade military presence in Lebanon, ultimately culminating in the withdrawal of Syrian troops in 2005. The assassination also intensified sectarian divisions within Lebanon and bolstered the political influence of Assad's ally, Hezbollah.

Buses from across Lebanon arrived early, bringing supporters to downtown Beirut to commemorate the anniversary. Thousands of people filled the streets and waved Lebanese flags and the blue flag of Hariri's Future Movement to songs honoring Hariri's memory.

“After the Syrian and Iranian guardianship ended and the ousting of the Syrian regime, the Lebanese state alone rules us,” Mohammad Kanaan told The Associated Press.

“In this square, you expelled Bashar Assad from Lebanon,” Saad said during his speech. “And after twenty years of sectarian rule, detention and brutality, the heroic Syrian people rose up and expelled the criminal from Syria.”

Another supporter, Ahmad Serhal, said he hoped that “Lebanon would unite” after the departure of Assad. “All the political shifts are for the good of this country. Lebanon is for all the Lebanese, we need to reach an agreement and unite.”

“God took revenge upon those who assassinated president Rafik — from ousting Assad, from ousting the system that is allied with Iran,” Ahmad Trab said. “We hope for a better future now with Syria.”

The anniversary of Hariri’s death comes just four days before the deadline for Israeli troops to withdraw from southern Lebanon under a ceasefire agreement that ended a 14-month war with Hezbollah in late November. The ceasefire deal also stipulates that Hezbollah must end its military presence south of the Litani River, with the Lebanese Army and UN peacekeepers deploying in the vacated areas.

The pullout deadline, initially set for Jan. 26, was postponed to Feb. 18.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said Lebanon “absolutely rejects” an Israeli proposal to keep troops in five strategic border points after the withdrawal. “It is the responsibility of the Americans to impose (the withdrawal), otherwise they will have caused the biggest setback for the government,” he said.

Aoun has also insisted that Israel must adhere to the agreed-upon timeline. During his speech, Saad also emphasized the need for the Israeli army's withdrawal from Lebanon.

Saad addressed the people of southern and eastern Lebanon, regions largely supporters of and influenced by Hezbollah, urging them to seize Lebanon’s golden opportunity while dispelling any perception of being “a force of obstruction.”

On Feb. 8, Lebanon formed a new government led by Salam, the first fully empowered administration since 2022. Salam, a former president of the International Court of Justice, was appointed following the election of Aoun in January. The 24-member cabinet includes a mix of technocrats and political figures, representing various sects, including Hezbollah’s allies.

Although Hezbollah did not formally endorse Salam’s appointment, the group negotiated during the government formation process.

The United States has expressed support for the new government, emphasizing the importance of stability and reforms, though opposing Hezbollah’s direct participation in the cabinet. Salam's government now faces Lebanon’s longstanding economic crisis and an urgent need to implement key financial reforms.

The political shift has reopened the door for renewed Arab engagement, particularly from Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which had previously distanced themselves from Lebanon due to the growing influence of Iran and its ally, Hezbollah.

These countries, which had strong ties with Lebanon under Hariri, are now reassessing their approach, with hopes of reintegrating Lebanon into the Arab fold.

Former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri greets his supporters after he paid his respects at the grave of his father, former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, on the 20th anniversary of his assassination in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri speaks during a ceremony to mark the 20th anniversary of the assassination of his father, former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri after he paid his respects at the grave of his father, in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri greets his supporters after he paid his respects at the grave of his father, former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, on the 20th anniversary of his assassination in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

FILE - Former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, gestures in front of a picture of his late father and former Prime Minister of Lebanon Rafic Hariri at his house in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, on Jan. 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File)

FILE - Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Rafik Hariri leaves the Parliament building in Beirut, Lebanon, on April 17, 2003. (AP Photo/File)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic over its bloody crackdown on protesters, a move coming as activists said Monday the death toll in the nationwide demonstrations rose to at least 544.

Iran had no immediate reaction to the news, which came after the foreign minister of Oman — long an interlocutor between Washington and Tehran — traveled to Iran this weekend. It also remains unclear just what Iran could promise, particularly as Trump has set strict demands over its nuclear program and its ballistic missile arsenal, which Tehran insists is crucial for its national defense.

Meanwhile Monday, Iran called for pro-government demonstrators to head to the streets in support of the theocracy, a show of force after days of protests directly challenging the rule of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian state television aired chants from the crowd, who shouted “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!”

Trump and his national security team have been weighing a range of potential responses against Iran including cyberattacks and direct strikes by the U.S. or Israel, according to two people familiar with internal White House discussions who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

“The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night. Asked about Iran’s threats of retaliation, he said: “If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before.”

Trump said that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he may have to act first as reports of the death toll in Iran mount and the government continues to arrest protesters.

“I think they’re tired of being beat up by the United States,” Trump said. “Iran wants to negotiate.”

He added: “The meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate.”

Iran through country's parliamentary speaker warned Sunday that the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators.

More than 10,600 people also have been detained over the two weeks of protests, said the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in previous unrest in recent years and gave the death toll. It relies on supporters in Iran crosschecking information. It said 496 of the dead were protesters and 48 were with security forces.

With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the toll. Iran’s government has not offered overall casualty figures.

Those abroad fear the information blackout is emboldening hard-liners within Iran’s security services to launch a bloody crackdown. Protesters flooded the streets in the country’s capital and its second-largest city on Saturday night into Sunday morning. Online videos purported to show more demonstrations Sunday night into Monday, with a Tehran official acknowledging them in state media.

In Tehran, a witness told the AP that the streets of the capital empty at the sunset call to prayers each night. By the Isha, or nighttime prayer, the streets are deserted.

Part of that stems from the fear of getting caught in the crackdown. Police sent the public a text message that warned: “Given the presence of terrorist groups and armed individuals in some gatherings last night and their plans to cause death, and the firm decision to not tolerate any appeasement and to deal decisively with the rioters, families are strongly advised to take care of their youth and teenagers.”

Another text, which claimed to come from the intelligence arm of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, also directly warned people not to take part in demonstrations.

“Dear parents, in view of the enemy’s plan to increase the level of naked violence and the decision to kill people, ... refrain from being on the streets and gathering in places involved in violence, and inform your children about the consequences of cooperating with terrorist mercenaries, which is an example of treason against the country,” the text warned.

The witness spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity due to the ongoing crackdown.

The demonstrations began Dec. 28 over the collapse of the Iranian rial currency, which trades at over 1.4 million to $1, as the country’s economy is squeezed by international sanctions in part levied over its nuclear program. The protests intensified and grew into calls directly challenging Iran’s theocracy.

Nikhinson reported from aboard Air Force One.

In this frame grab from video obtained by the AP outside Iran, a masked demonstrator holds a picture of Iran's Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, January. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran shows protesters taking to the streets despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.(UGC via AP)

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran showed protesters once again taking to the streets of Tehran despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Saturday Jan. 10, 2026. (UGC via AP)