Resigned Lebanon PM Hariri to return home 'soon'

By Muhammed Ali Akman and Gulsen Topcu

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AA) - Lebanon's resigned prime minister Saad Hariri said late Sunday that he would return to his country ‘soon’, during a televised interview.

"I have resigned. I am going to Lebanon very soon and I will resign in the constitutional manner," he said in the first television interview after his resignation.

On Nov. 4, Hariri abruptly announced his resignation in a televised address delivered from Saudi Arabia.

"My resignation came as a wake-up call for Lebanon," he said.

In his resignation address, Hariri criticized Iran and its Lebanese ally, Hezbollah, accusing them of sowing “sedition” in the region and meddling in Arab affairs.

"I am not against Hezbollah as a party, I have a problem with Hezbollah destroying the country," Hariri said during the interview.

On Friday, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah claimed that Hariri was being held against his will by Saudi Arabia, which is not allowing him to return to Lebanon.

Saudi authorities have yet to comment on Nasrallah’s assertions. However, according to MENA News Agency, the Saudi administration made an "urgent meeting" call to Arab foreign ministers.

Hariri's resignation, which has yet to be endorsed by Lebanese President Michel Aoun, came amid tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Aoun said he would not accept Hariri's resignation until he returns to Lebanon to explain his position.

Hariri was appointed prime minister late last year. Before his resignation on Nov. 4, he led a 30-member government that included Hezbollah.