Hezbollah Secretary-General's Accusations Against Saudi Arabia and Israel

Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah in Lebanon, accused Saudi Arabia on Friday, November 10, of having "declared war" against Lebanon and Hezbollah. He also stated that Saudi Arabia "encourages" Israel to attack Lebanon. Nasrallah continued by saying that his organization is monitoring all of Israel's efforts to "exploit the current crisis," but believes that Israel will be cautious and will not enter into war with Lebanon. These remarks from Nasrallah follow statements made by Thamer al-Sabhan, Saudi Minister of State for Gulf Affairs, on Monday, November 6, who said that the Lebanese government is responsible for the actions of Hezbollah and that the group's actions against Saudi Arabia amount to a declaration of war by the Lebanese government. According to Reuters, Nasrallah also accused Saudi Arabia of forcing Saad Hariri to resign from his position as Prime Minister of Lebanon and keeping him under detention to destabilize Lebanon. Saad Hariri, the Prime Minister of Lebanon, resigned on Saturday, November 4, criticizing the "interference" of Iran and Hezbollah in Arab affairs, stating that his life was in "danger." According to an old custom in Lebanon, the President must be Christian, the Prime Minister Sunni, and the Speaker of the Parliament Shia. Hariri has led the bloc opposing Hezbollah and Syria in Lebanon and has been supported by Saudi Arabia. Hariri is reportedly in an ambiguous situation in Saudi Arabia, and Reuters reported on Thursday, citing two senior Lebanese officials, a politician close to Hariri, and another informed source, that Saad Hariri is being held in Saudi Arabia "against his will." Nasrallah reiterated the accusation of Hariri's "detention" in Saudi Arabia, calling it "an insult to all Lebanese" and demanded Hariri's return to Lebanon. In response, Saudi Arabia claims that Hariri is free and that his resignation was due to Hezbollah taking control of affairs in Hariri's government. Hariri has not appeared in the media since his resignation. These developments have raised international concerns, and in this context, Rex Tillerson, the U.S. Secretary of State, warned other countries on Friday not to use Lebanon as a scene for their "proxy war." He emphasized that Hariri is a "strong partner" of the United States. Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S., Canada, Australia, and the European Union, and the Gulf Cooperation Council, under Saudi influence, designated Hezbollah as a terrorist organization in March 2016. Hezbollah is the only organization in Lebanon that was not disarmed after the civil war from 1975 to 1990, and today its arsenal is larger than that of the Lebanese army. In his speech on Friday, Nasrallah warned Israel, saying, "We are stronger today and warn them about miscalculations and reckless reactions." In this context, the President of Lebanon called for Hariri's return to the country, while the Israeli Minister of Information stated that Hariri's resignation is an opportunity to pressure Iran and Hezbollah. Saudi Arabia and its allies have urged their citizens to leave Lebanon.