Hariri: Lebanon cannot do anything about Hezbollah

By Furkan Guldemir

BEIRUT (AA) - Lebanon’s prime minister said in an interview Sunday that providing a solution to Hezbollah’s arms is a regional matter and Lebanon “cannot do anything about the issue”.

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri told a Saudi magazine that he blamed Iran for using Hezbollah to destabilize Lebanon.

“The solution for Hezbollah’s arms is a regional solution, not a domestic one. For that, we [Lebanon] cannot do anything about the issue.”

“Hezbollah does not have the ability to manage a country. It’s strength comes from the arms provided by Iran,” Hariri added.

He also rejected Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s statement that no decision could be made in Lebanon without Iran’s involvement.

“Rouhani cannot intervene what we want to do in Lebanon,” Hariri said.

Touching the years-long war in Syria, the premier said that Russia’s decision to intervene Syria has nothing to do with Bashar al-Assad’s fall.

“Iran had asked for intervention from Russia after they failed in Syria,” he added.

On Nov. 4, Hariri announced his resignation in a televised address from Saudi Arabia, accusing Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah of sowing “sedition” in the region and “meddling” in Arab affairs.

He also hinted at an alleged plot to assassinate him.

Saudi Arabia, Hariri’s long-time political patron, is Iran’s arch-foe in the region. Riyadh supports Syria’s armed opposition while Iran and Hezbollah both support Syria’s Bashar al-Assad regime.