Saad Hariri Appointed to Form Cabinet in Lebanon

Michel Aoun, the President of Lebanon, appointed Saad Hariri, the leader of the Future Movement, as the new Prime Minister of the country on Thursday. Mr. Hariri is known for his opposition to Iran, Syria, and Hezbollah in Lebanon. It was previously suggested that Hariri's premiership is part of an understanding between him and Michel Aoun, the new President of Lebanon. Due to political disagreements in Lebanon, the country has been without a president for almost three years until last week when Mr. Hariri supported Aoun's presidency. Although Michel Aoun is a Christian figure, he is recognized in Lebanon as an ally of Hezbollah. Nevertheless, after his presidency, Aoun tasked Saad Hariri, who is famous for opposing Hezbollah, with forming the cabinet. The Future Movement faction, which operates under Saad Hariri, holds the majority in the Lebanese parliament, and Aoun's presidency was only possible with the support of this faction. Nabih Berri, the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament and leader of the Shiite Amal Movement, has also supported Saad Hariri's premiership. Saad Hariri is the son of Rafik Hariri, a former Prime Minister of Lebanon who was assassinated in a car bombing in Beirut in 2004. Hezbollah and the Syrian government are identified as the main suspects in Rafik Hariri's assassination. Like his father, Saad Hariri has warm relations with Saudi Arabia and Western countries and is considered an opponent of Iran and Syria in Lebanon. Hariri's premiership comes at a time when Ali Akbar Velayati, an advisor to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, previously identified Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, as the main victor of Michel Aoun's presidency. According to an old agreement in Lebanon, the President is chosen from among Christians, the Prime Minister from among Sunni Muslims, and the Speaker of the Parliament from among Shiites.