Timour Azhari, Laila Basam

BEIRUT (Reuters – Lebanon’s government cannot afford a resignation over a growing diplomatic crises with Saudi Arabia, some Gulf states and others. A member of a Lebanese crisis groups of ministers stated on Saturday that the decision was made after a three-hour-long meeting to discuss the wider rift.

Abbas Halabi, Education Minister, said that “the country cannot be left with no government” because of other urgent matters and that he would continue working to solve the problem.

Some politicians demanded that George Kordahi, the Lebanese Information Minister, resign due to his criticisms of the Saudi-led military operation in Yemen. Other lawmakers opposed Kordahi.

Saudi Arabia expelled the Lebanon envoy, banned all Lebanese exports and Bahrain followed. Kuwait and Bahrain gave top Lebanese diplomats an additional 48-hour window to flee.

The resignation of Kordahi could have knock-on consequences that could put at risk Prime Minister Najib Mirata’s coalition government.

Abdallah Bou Habib the Foreign Minister said Mikati was in contact with representatives from several states and expressed opposition to Mikati’s resignation. This government formed just last month, after 13 months of intractable negotiations.

Mikati said, “If you’re thinking of resignation, then take it out from your head,”

Richard Michaels (deputy head of U.S. missions in Lebanon), had been present at the Beirut crisis meeting. The spokesperson for U.S. Embassy declined further comment.

Mikati asked Kordahi to review the “national interest” of Lebanon on Friday, but he didn’t ask for his resignation.

Kordahi, who has publicly been backed by Iran-backed Hezbollah has not apologised or resigned over these comments. They have done the most damage to Saudi-Lebanese relations after Saad al Hariri’s Riyadh 2017 detention.

INTERNATIONAL INTERESTS

Suleiman Frangieh, the political patron of the Hezbollah-allied Marada Movement told a press conference that he refused Kordahi’s offer to resign, and would not name his successor if he did.

However, former prime ministers of Lebanon called Saturday for Kordahi’s resignation. They claimed that Kordahi’s comments were a serious blow to the relations between Lebanese and Gulf Arab states.

Fouad seniora, Hariri et Tammam sallam were some of Lebanon’s leading Sunni politicians. They stated in the statement, that Kordahi’s comments “harmed Lebanon’s highest national interest”.

Ministers supported by Hezbollah or its Amal ally, Kordahi could resign at a moment when the government’s power is already strained by the dispute surrounding an investigation into the Aug 2020 blast that decimated parts of Beirut.

Reuters received information from a top political source that said the United States and European governments were in touch to Lebanese officials, and they were trying to keep the government from collapsing. However, there was no sign of ministers stepping down.

As Lebanon is struggling with an unprecedented financial crisis, the World Bank calls it the “worst in modern history.”

Mikati hopes that a better relationship can be established with the Gulf Arab States, which have suffered for many years from the Iran-backed Hezbollah’s influence.

Saudi Arabia already banned fruit and vegetables imports from Lebanon in April. It blamed an increase in drug smuggling in Lebanon. The ban was now extended to all goods.

In a Saturday statement, the Arab League stated that it is concerned by the deterioration of Lebanese relations with the Gulf and asked for Gulf countries to “reflect on the proposed measures… to prevent further adverse effects on the collapsed Lebanese economic system”.