Naharnet

Saudi, Kuwait, UAE Warn Their Citizens against Travel to Lebanon

Saudi Arabia on Thursday ordered its citizens out of Lebanon amid skyrocketing tensions between the kingdom, its regional foe Iran and Tehran's Lebanese ally Hizbullah.

A brief statement carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency called on all Saudis living in or visiting Lebanon to depart “as soon as possible,” citing “the current situations in the Lebanese republic.” It also warned Saudis against travel to the country.

Saudi Arabia has recently said that it considers Hizbullah's participation in the Lebanese government an "act of war" against the kingdom.

Following the travel warning on Thursday, firebrand Saudi State Minister for Gulf Affairs Thamer al-Sabhan, who is in charge of the Lebanon file, tweeted that “all the successive measures will continue to escalate in a strict manner until things return to their natural course.”

Later on Thursday, the Kuwaiti foreign ministry called on its citizens to "leave Lebanon immediately" due to "the situations in brotherly Lebanese republic" and as a "precaution against any negative repercussions."

The ministry also hoped "the brothers in Lebanon will be able to overcome this difficult period in a manner that achieves their stability and security."

The UAE foreign ministry meanwhile renewed a travel warning to Lebanon, urging its citizens not to travel to the country from the UAE or from any other country.

The developments come in the wake of Prime Minister Saad Hariri's shock resignation in a televised address from the kingdom on Saturday.

In a haltingly delivered address, Hariri accused Iran of meddling in Arab affairs and Iran-backed Hizbullah of holding Lebanon hostage.

Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah speculated on Sunday that Saudi Arabia had forced Hariri to resign amid the deepening Saudi-Iran rivalry.


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