Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Tuesday, Aug 05, 2025

Saudi announces return of ambassador to Lebanon

Saudi announces return of ambassador to Lebanon

Relations have been tense since last year after a former minister criticised Saudi’s role in Yemen.

Saudi Arabia announced on Thursday that it was sending an ambassador to Lebanon for the first time since a row broke out with Beirut last year over the Riyadh-led military intervention in Yemen.

The foreign ministry “announces the return of the ambassador … to the sisterly Republic of Lebanon”, read a statement carried by state media.

The ambassador is returning in response to calls by “moderate” Lebanese political forces, the foreign ministry said, and after remarks by Prime Minister Najib Mikati regarding “ending all political, military and security activities” that affect Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states.

A diplomatic crisis erupted last October after then-Information Minister George Kordahi was quoted criticising Saudi Arabia’s role in Yemen, where a grinding war has produced what the United Nations describes as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.


Kordahi, who has since resigned, said in a television interview that the Houthi rebels fighting Yemen’s internationally-recognised government were “defending themselves … against an external aggression”.

He said “homes, villages, funerals and weddings were being bombed” by the Saudi-led coalition, and called the war in Yemen “futile”.

The Houthis are backed by Saudi’s regional rival Iran, which has significant influence in Lebanon, where it backs the powerful Shia movement Hezbollah.

In response to Kordahi’s remarks, Riyadh recalled its ambassador and ordered Lebanon’s envoy to leave the kingdom. Riyadh’s Gulf allies the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait followed suit, expelling Lebanese envoys.

Kuwait also announced Thursday the return of its ambassador to Beirut following the Saudi decision.

The diplomatic row, which has also seen Saudi Arabia ban the imports of Lebanese goods, was a blow to a country already in the grip of crippling political and economic crises.

Lebanon, which had been counting on financial assistance from the Gulf to rescue its economy, welcomed the Saudi announcement.

Prime Minister Mikati, in a Twitter post welcoming the move, said Lebanon was “proud of its Arab affiliation and upholds the best relations with Gulf states”, describing them as pillars of support.

‘Worries’ over Hezbollah


Lebanon’s Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi also praised the move.

“Once again the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has proven, by the return of its ambassador … that Lebanon is in its heart and conscience and that it will never abandon it,” Mawlawi said.

“We will continue to work on strengthening ties and we will not allow any harm or offence to come its way from now on,” he added.

Angered by the influence of the Hezbollah in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, which wields strong influence over many of the smaller Gulf states, had stepped back from its former ally Beirut in recent years.

Riyadh has long accused Tehran of supplying the Houthis with sophisticated weapons and its Hezbollah proxy of training the armed group – charges that Iran denies.

Saudi Arabia said in December that it had “evidence of involvement of Lebanon’s terrorist Hezbollah in Yemen”, including using the airport in Yemen’s capital Sanaa “to target the kingdom”.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud had blamed deteriorating ties with Beirut on Hezbollah and Iran’s dominance over Lebanese politics.

“There is no crisis with Lebanon, but a crisis in Lebanon because of Iranian dominance,” he told Al Arabiya television in October.

“Hezbollah’s dominance of the political system in Lebanon worries us,” he said.

Hezbollah supports Tehran in its regional struggle for influence with US-allied Gulf Arab states. The group and its allies also exercise major sway over Lebanese state policy.


Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Qatar Airways Clears Backlog of Passengers Following Missile Threats
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
×