Lebanon: Hariri being held in Saudi Arabia

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Lebanese officials are calling on Saudi Arabia to secure the return of Prime Minister Saad Hariri who announced his resignation via a statement read out on television in Riyadh on November 4. They believe that Hariri is being held there against his own will. This comes as Saudi Arabia warns its citizens against travelling to Lebanon and asked those who are in the country to leave immediately.

In his statement, Hariri alluded that Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah are striking tensions in the region and looking to destabilize Lebanon. Hariri also added that he feared for his life.

A poster depicting Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, who has resigned from his post, and his father, Rafik al-Hariri, is seen in the mainly Sunni Beirut neighbourhood of Tariq al-Jadideh in Beirut, Lebanon November 6, 2017.

The shock resignation pushes an already fragile Lebanon once again to the center stage of a rivalry between regional powerhouses Saudi Arabia and Iran. Analysts say that Saudi Arabia backed by the United States wants to intensify its campaign against Iran.

French President Emmanuel Macron made an emergency unscheduled trip to Saudi Arabia Thursday night to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in order to discuss escalating tensions in Lebanon and Yemen.

Seeking to consolidate his grip on power, analysts say, the Crown Prince also issued a number of arrests of members of the ruling family, senior officials and prominent businessmen earlier this week.

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir speaking to CNBC said that his country is urging the international community to impose new sanctions on Iran, accusing it of supporting terrorism after a missile fired from Yemen towards the Riyadh International Airport was intercepted.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir attends a news conference after a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, April 26, 2017. /Reuters Photo

The kingdom was quick to blame Iran accusing it of supplying missiles to Houthi rebels fighting in Yemen. The Saudi-led military coalition fighting the Houthi rebels said it had closed all air, land and sea ports to cease the flow of arms to the Houthis from Iran.

Iran denies providing missiles to Houthi rebels and says its missile program is not a threat to the region nor should it be linked to the nuclear deal.

So what does all this mean for Lebanon? Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil said that Lebanon was the first democratic country in the Middle East, and that its people paid a high price in order to have a president and a prime minister who represent it fairly.

He also added that it was up to the Lebanese people to choose whether or not an official is removed from his position, in a clear message that Lebanon refuses Hariri’s resignation. Indirectly slamming countries who interfere in Lebanon, he noted that threats will be met with peace and unity.