Rouhani Accuses Saudi of 'Rare' Intervention in Lebanon

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday ratcheted up the rhetoric against Saudi Arabia, his country's main regional rival, saying the kingdom pressured Prime Minister Saad Hariri to resign in a "rare" intervention in another nation's affairs.

Rouhani also accused Saudi Arabia, without naming the kingdom, of "begging" Israel to bomb Lebanon. Iran-allied Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has made the same accusation.

Saudi Arabia has accused Hizbullah of aiding Iran-allied rebels in Yemen, who fired a ballistic missile that was intercepted outside the Saudi capital earlier this month. Hizbullah has said Saudi Arabia forced Hariri to resign in order to bring down his coalition government, which includes the group.

Hariri is a Saudi ally who holds dual citizenship. He announced his unexpected resignation in a pre-recorded statement broadcast on Saudi TV on Nov. 4, in which he lashed out at Hizbullah and said he feared for his safety.