Sat 30 October 2021:
Saudi Arabia gave Lebanon’s ambassador 48 hours to leave the country and recalled its ambassador to Beirut on Friday.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that Riyadh has also ordered an immediate halt to all Lebanese imports.
The decision follows “the insulting statements” made during an interview given by Lebanon’s Information Minister George Kordahi before he became a minister.
Saudi Arabia also banned all imports from Lebanon until further notice after Kordahi had said that Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis were defending themselves and described the yearslong war in Yemen as “futile.”
Asked if he “thinks that the Houthis, like Hezbollah, are defending their land as an armed organization,” Kurdahi said: “Of course they are defending themselves … My personal opinion is that this war in Yemen needs to end. Houses, buildings, villages and cities are being attacked by fighter jets.”
Saudi Arabia has affirmed its keenness on the Lebanese citizens residing in the Kingdom, “whom it considers part of the fabric and bond that unites the Saudi people and their Arab brothers residing in the Kingdom,” according to the statement issued Friday.
The ministry added that it did not consider that what was said by Kordahi reflected the positions of the Lebanese community residing in the Kingdom.
“These statements represent a new episode of reprehensible and rejected positions issued by Lebanese officials towards the Kingdom and its policies,” the statement by the Saudi ministry read.
Bahrain asks Lebanese ambassador to leave the country within 48 hours
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it has asked the Lebanese ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain to leave the Kingdom within the next 48 hours, against the background of a series of unacceptable and offensive statements and stances issued by Lebanese officials recently.
The ministry clarified that this decision does not affect the Lebanese brothers residing in the Kingdom.
To avert the crisis, Mikati said Kurdahi made the statement before taking charge as the information minister and it does not reflect the government’s position.
He added that the remarks in no way demonstrate Lebanon’s policy with Arab countries, especially Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia also doubled down on its decision regarding a travel ban on its citizens wanting to visit Lebanon.
Yemen has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014, when Iran-aligned Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including the capital, Sanaa.
A Saudi-led coalition aimed at reinstating the Yemeni government has worsened the situation and caused one of the world’s worst man-made humanitarian crises.
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