Lebanese prime minister whose resignation shook the region says he will return very soon

BEIRUT - Lebanon’s prime minister insisted Sunday that he was “free” to move as he pleased, speaking in his first interview since his unexpected resignation from the Saudi capital, where political allies and Western diplomats have suggested he was coerced into leaving his post.

In a live television interview from Riyadh,  a tired-looking Saad Hariri was calm and measured, blaming his departure on “interference,” in an apparent reference to Saudi Arabia’s arch foe, Iran. 

His Nov. 4 resignation came amid heightened rivalries by the two regional powers, and coincided with an aggressive purge of rivals by Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed Salman under the cover of an anti-corruption drive. 

In his interview Sunday, Hariri suggested that he would withdraw his resignation if the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah committed to remaining neutral on regional conflicts.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/lebanese-prime-minister-whose-resignation-shook-the-region-says-he-will-return-very-soon/2017/11/12/942c638e-c7dd-11e7-b506-8a10ed11ecf5_story.html