ALBAWABA - Saudi Arabia and Lebanon are experiencing their worst diplomatic crisis with the relations at an all time low between the two countries. Riyadh has recalled its Saudi Ambassador from Lebanon for consultation according to Arab News.
The Kingdom has also called on the Lebanese Ambassador in Riyadh to leave the country within the next 48 hours the Saudi Press Agency reported.
#SaudiArabia says that it is giving #Lebanon’s ambassador 48 hours to leave the country adding that it has already recalled its envoy to Beirut.https://t.co/6TB0XLlkFJ
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) October 29, 2021
Trouble started brewing ever since it was revealed the Lebanese Minister of Information George Kurdahi criticised the Saudi-led war in Yemen against the armed Houthi rebels as reported by the Anadolu news agency.
Kurdahi made the comments before he was appointed as Information Minister in the new Lebanese government last September in a recorded interview that was recently broadcast.
Saudi Arabia recalls its ambassador to Lebanon, tells Beirut's envoy to Riyadh to leave within 48 hours, and imposes blanket ban on all imports from the countryhttps://t.co/TeRzyD2Jvw
— The National (@TheNationalNews) October 29, 2021
Asked if he "thinks that the Houthis, like Hezbollah, are defending their land as an armed organization," Kurdahi said: "Of course they are defending themselves ... My personal opinion is that this war in Yemen needs to end. Houses, buildings, villages and cities are being attacked by fighter jets," the Turkish news agency reported him as saying.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has also banned all Lebanese imports into the Kingdom as reported in Arab News. It added the Kingdom reiterated a previous ban on citizens travelling to Lebanon in the interest of their safety considering the increasing instability in the country.
NEW: #Saudi Arabia expels #Lebanon's envoy, cuts imports over remarks made by Lebanese minister.
— Mohammad Ali Shabani (@mashabani) October 29, 2021
Prior to recently assuming office, Kordahi slammed war in #Yemen, saying #Houthis are "defending" Yemen from "external aggression."
Full coverage of story: https://t.co/V0F1unCqnZ
The move comes after a video emerged on Tuesday of the Lebanese minister making offensive comments saying that the Iran-aligned Houthis were defending themselves and calling the war in Yemen “futile,” the Saudi daily reported.
The dive in relations between Riyadh and Beirut is being extensively reported by the social media which is being seen as the worst diplomatic crisis between the two countries.
