Lebanese Sources: Michel Aoun Has Conditioned Acceptance of Hariri's Resignation on His Return

One day after Saad Hariri announced his resignation from the premiership of Lebanon, sources at the Lebanese presidential palace stated that Michel Aoun, the President of Lebanon, will not accept his resignation until Mr. Hariri returns to the country. Saad Hariri, who is currently in Saudi Arabia, resigned on Saturday, November 4, through Al-Arabiya television, and the President of Lebanon announced that this matter was communicated to him via phone from abroad. Mr. Hariri also referred to a 'assassination plot' against himself and made criticisms against Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon. However, on Sunday, the Lebanese army emphasized that no assassination plot against Saad Hariri had been discovered. Saad Hariri became the Prime Minister of Lebanon last year following a political agreement that placed Michel Aoun, an ally of Hezbollah, in the presidency, and his resignation could exacerbate sectarian tensions in Lebanon and return the country to a deadlock in government formation. Michel Aoun, the President of Lebanon, also stated on Saturday that he is waiting to hear from Mr. Hariri about the 'conditions leading to resignation' upon his return to the country. However, on Sunday, the newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat quoted a source close to the resigned Prime Minister of Lebanon, stating that due to security threats against Saad Hariri, he is likely to remain outside Lebanon. Regarding the 'assassination plot against Saad Hariri,' Reuters reported that Saudi media had published reports in recent days, although Lebanese security agencies stated they have no information on this matter. On Saturday, Thamer al-Sabhan, a Saudi cabinet minister, announced in an interview with a Lebanese television network that Mr. Hariri's guards had 'confirmed' information regarding the assassination plot against him and added that 'there are threats against the Prime Minister of Lebanon' and that the Saudi kingdom is ready to ensure his security. Saad Hariri's father, Rafik Hariri, was assassinated in 2005 during his premiership in a car bomb explosion, and a court established with UN support charged five members of Hezbollah in this case, although Hezbollah denied the allegations of involvement in Rafik Hariri's murder. Despite the differences between Hezbollah and Saad Hariri, the group participates in Mr. Hariri's cabinet, although between 2009 and 2011, when Saad Hariri was Prime Minister, his cabinet fell after significant fluctuations with the protest resignation of ministers affiliated with Hezbollah. In his resignation statement, Mr. Hariri made severe criticisms against Iran and the Hezbollah group, although Iran rejected his statements hours after his remarks, describing his resignation as 'another scenario to create tension in Lebanon and the region.' On Sunday, several Iranian officials, including Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Mohammad Ali Jafari, Commander of the IRGC, and Hassan Firouzabadi, former Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Iran, reacted to Saad Hariri's resignation. In this context, Mohammad Ali Jafari and Hassan Firouzabadi stated that the resignation of the Lebanese Prime Minister was made at the request of Saudi officials, and Ali Shamkhani described the announcement of this resignation in Riyadh as 'part of a plot against free nations.' The news of Saad Hariri's resignation was published while Iranian news agencies reported on Friday about a recent meeting between Ali Akbar Velayati, the international advisor to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, and Mr. Hariri in Beirut, in which Mr. Velayati stated, 'Iran supports the current Lebanese government headed by Saad Hariri, which includes various factions.' According to the political system, the Prime Minister of Lebanon must be selected from among Sunni politicians, and it is unclear who will succeed Mr. Hariri, who is currently considered the most influential Sunni politician in Lebanon. Michel Aoun, the President of Lebanon, now has to introduce a figure who can garner the most support in the country's parliament for the premiership and is expected to engage in consultations on this matter in the coming days.