Lebanon PM Resigns, Bringing Saudi-Iran Proxy Conflict to the Fore
- Saad Hariri resigns in televised speech from Saudi Arabia
- Expresses fears that he could be assassinated like his father
Saad al-Hariri
Photographer: Jan Hennop/AFP/Getty Images
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Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri unexpectedly resigned on Saturday in a televised speech from Saudi Arabia, saying he feared for his life and accusing Iran and its proxies of destabilizing his country and the region.
Hariri, a pro-Saudi Sunni politician, said Lebanon has suffered enough because of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah and its grip on domestic politics. “I want to say to Iran and its followers that they are losing in their interference in the affairs of Arab nations, and our nation will rise as it did before -- and the hands that are extended to it with evil will be cut off,” he said.