Saad Hariri Returns to Lebanon on Thursday

Saad Hariri, the Prime Minister of Lebanon, announced that he will return to Lebanon from Saudi Arabia on Thursday. Meanwhile, an international advisor to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic referred to Mr. Hariri's statements about Iran's 'interference' in Lebanon as 'propaganda' from Saudi officials. Mr. Hariri, who has been in Riyadh since announcing his resignation, tweeted on Tuesday that he would return to Lebanon in two days, but his family would remain in Saudi Arabia, which he described as 'their country.' On Tuesday, Mr. Hariri also met with the Maronite Archbishop. This was the first visit by a Lebanese official to Riyadh since Saad Hariri's resignation. Bashara Boutros Raï, the Maronite Archbishop, also met with King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, marking his first visit to Riyadh. According to Reuters, the French Foreign Minister is also set to travel to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. France, Germany, and the United States have called for a reduction of tensions and the maintenance of stability in Lebanon. Saad Hariri stated on Sunday evening, November 12, after several days of silence regarding his resignation, that he is 'free' and will 'soon' return to his country. Some Lebanese officials, including the President, claimed that Saad Hariri's freedom in Riyadh was 'limited' and called for his immediate return. Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, also accused Saudi Arabia on November 10 of forcing Saad Hariri to resign and keeping him under detention to 'destabilize' Lebanon. In this interview, Mr. Hariri also warned during a meeting with Ali Akbar Velayati, an advisor to the Supreme Leader, about Iran's 'interference' in Arab countries, stating that such 'interference' destroys relations with other Arab countries. However, Mr. Velayati on Tuesday dismissed Mr. Hariri's statements as 'propaganda' from Saudi officials and stated that the Lebanese Prime Minister had not mentioned Iran's interference in the internal affairs of Lebanon. According to Fars News Agency, he also said that the discussions during this meeting were 'intense, harsh, and threatening.' According to Mr. Velayati, Saad Hariri sought mediation between Tehran and Riyadh, and in response, he said, 'We have no problem with Saudi Arabia, but the fact that the Saudis have been bombing the people of Yemen for over two years and have besieged the country... has nothing to do with politics, and for humanitarian reasons, they should negotiate with the Yemenis.' Saad Hariri had met with Ali Akbar Velayati in Beirut the day before announcing his resignation. On November 4, in a speech broadcast on Saudi state television, Mr. Hariri resigned while criticizing Iran's 'interference' and Hezbollah's involvement in Arab affairs. The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman on Tuesday, November 13, described Saad Hariri's resignation in another country and his failure to return to his own country as 'an unusual and unprecedented action.' Mr. Qasemi also stated that Tehran considers the incident involving Mr. Hariri to be 'an internal issue in Lebanon' and will not interfere. On the same day, the French Foreign Ministry spokesman called for Iran not to interfere in Lebanon's internal affairs and emphasized that this is an important condition for establishing stability in the region. The issue of Saad Hariri's resignation in Saudi Arabia and his statements against Iran comes amid heightened verbal clashes between Iranian and Saudi officials following a missile attack on Riyadh. The execution of a Shia cleric in Saudi Arabia and attacks on its diplomatic missions in Tehran and Mashhad led to a severance of relations between the two countries. Both countries accuse each other of interfering in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.