Saad Hariri: I Remain in Saudi Arabia for Consultation

Saad Hariri, the resigned Prime Minister of Lebanon, stated in a Twitter message that he is staying in Saudi Arabia for consultations regarding the 'future' of Lebanon and its 'relations' with Arab countries in the region. He mentioned that aside from this, anything else regarding his stay in Saudi Arabia and his family is 'rumor.' While senior Lebanese officials and even political figures close to him claim that Saudi Arabia forced him to resign, both the resigned Prime Minister and Riyadh deny this. Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi Foreign Minister, said on Thursday that the decision of when Saad Hariri wants to return to Lebanon is up to him. Hariri, who traveled to Riyadh after meeting with Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior advisor to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic in Beirut, suddenly announced his resignation in a statement. In his resignation speech, he harshly criticized Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon, accusing them of interfering in Lebanon's affairs and other Arab countries. However, Iranian officials and Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, have rejected these accusations and consider his resignation linked to pressures from Saudi Arabia. Michel Aoun, the President of Lebanon, has even explicitly mentioned the kidnapping and hostage-taking of Hariri by Saudi Arabia and called for his return to his country. Shortly after, Hariri announced in a televised speech that he is a free man and will return to his country soon. Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, invited Hariri and his family, who are also in Saudi Arabia, to come to France. The Associated Press reported on Thursday that an unnamed official from the French presidency stated that Saad Hariri accepted this invitation and will go to France 'in the coming days.' Macron, who was traveling to Bonn, Germany for a meeting, said that his invitation does not mean Hariri is going into exile. France has close ties with Lebanon, having controlled it during the World War period. Saad Hariri also has a residence in France and has spent many years in the country. His father, Rafik Hariri, was also a close friend of former French President Jacques Chirac. The Lebanese coalition government was formed last year based on an agreement in which Michel Aoun became President and Saad Hariri became Prime Minister, with several members of Hezbollah also joining the cabinet. Hariri's sudden resignation has turned Lebanon into one of the battlegrounds of the conflict and rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia in the Middle East. In this context, Nabih Berri, the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, believes that although the crisis related to Saad Hariri has ended, a political crisis in Lebanon has begun. If Hariri submits his resignation, the President must issue a decree to form a temporary government (caretaker government) until a new Prime Minister is appointed. However, it is still unclear whether Hariri will lead the temporary government and return to Lebanon or not.