U.S. sanctions will not affect government's work - Lebanon PM Hariri

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri said on Wednesday that U.S. sanctions targeting Hezbollah lawmakers for the first time marked "a new direction" but would not affect the work of parliament or government.

"It is a new matter that we will deal with as we see fit," he said in a statement from his office. "The important thing is to preserve the banking sector and the Lebanese economy and, God willing, this crisis will pass sooner or later," he said.

He added that the sanctions issue should not be exaggerated.