TEHRAN – Saudi Arabia forced Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad Hariri to resign after his failure to convince Iran to reverse its policy on Yemen, a source close to the matter said. The source, who is close to Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior international adviser to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, attributed […]
TEHRAN – Saudi Arabia forced Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad Hariri to resign after his failure to convince Iran to reverse its policy on Yemen, a source close to the matter said.
The source, who is close to Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior international adviser to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, attributed the snap resignation of Hariri to his recent meeting with Velayati.
In comments on Sunday, the source said Hariri had conveyed Saudi Arabia’s requests from Iran in the Friday’s meeting with Velayati in Beirut.
In the meeting, Hariri put forward Riyadh’s call on Iran to stop supporting the Yemeni nation and improve its relations with the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council, the source noted.
In response, the source added, Mr. Velayati asked Hariri to remind Saudis that they should stop pounding Yemen and lift the blockade on it.
Following Saudi Arabia’s failure to persuade Iran to stop backing the Yemeni people, the Riyadh regime immediately summoned Hariri and “dictated” that he should resign, the source added.
During his recent visit to Lebanon, Velayati held a meeting with Hariri and discussed a range of issues.
A day later, during a visit to Saudi Arabia, Hariri announced his resignation and blamed Iran and Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement for his decision.
