Lebanon declaring war on Saudi Arabia —Saudi Minister

A Saudi minister took Riyadh’s threatening rhetoric against Hezbollah and Lebanon to new heights, accusing the group of engaging in terrorist activities on Saudi soil. Thamer al-Sabhan, the state minister for Gulf affairs, said that the Lebanese government will be treated as “declaring war” on Saudi Arabia because of Hezbollah’s “aggression” against the kingdom and its participation in the Lebanese parliament and cabinet. “The situation is very very sensitive; the situation is very alarming,” al-Sabhan told Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV, a Saudi owned pan-Arab TV, this week. Saudi Arabia supported Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who is currently under house arrest, and his allies during years of political conflict in Lebanon with Iran-backed Hezbollah. The Saudi statements came after an unexpected resignation by Hariri during a formal visit to Saudi Arabia, raising questions on the timing of his announcement and why he chose Riyadh, not Beirut, to inform the world. Al-Sabhan tweeted after a meeting he attended with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz, Hariri and a number of Saudi ministers that “Lebanon after the resignation will not be the same prior to it. Lebanon will not be a platform for launching terrorist attacks, its leaders must decide to be leaders of peace or leaders of terrorism.”