and the saudi officials have declared war against lebanon and hezbollah however let me tell you this is a war against. the entire lebanon not hezbollah and i want to know and here i would like to address the lebanese the lebanese with absolute veracity and openness and passion. propose also stress. points. i made. the happenings around us. and the state of the car we have been enjoying shears until the said saturday last. month a state and institutions presidency prime ministership stability security financial economic instability. all these benefits of pressures today many of the regions peoples are biting they fold that grave and dire situations they are living we must realize the value and the preciousness of what we enjoy in lebanon and hold on fast to this end contrast so the arabia is calling on them to read when. this troll to demolish all that. site has war against hezbollah saudi arabia is calling on you to read when your own homes will you do that. it is saudi arabia for all the statements and measures made by them are they willing or i the they keen on lebanon's interests.

with the windmill or from hezbollah. media outlets etc that you know there is b.s. going to attack there's going to be a war from saudi arabia and lebanon i find this rather ridiculous if you're not going to be i guess it also not just not just hezbollah but i suppose there has been concern across what you know plenty of western media outlets as well about this sort of. very sudden resignation in the fact that it happened in riyadh and not beirut kind of contributing to this climate of tension between these different forces and you know all this is sad headed as it is aggression came as a surprise to others but not to the people who really know the politics of lebanon or to the people who are near him i can tell you a little story in july i wanted to go to beirut and i was on the former saturday and i said i'm coming will you be there and he said yes come you should come it's all right it's it's safe it's fine i said you know we worry about your safety so this is only two months ago for him to teach this is must be very critical again i tell you. hezbollah is seen as somebody who t

parliament swore in a new cabinet dominated by hezbollah and its allies in a major victory for the shia iran backed group add to that hezbollah's military wing has been racking up victories in syria building up its arsenal and steadily increasing its influence at home and that subset some including saudi arabia right let's introduce our guests now joining us on skype from beirut is joseph katich ian political commentator and senior fellow at the king faisal center for research and islamic studies from tehran we have most of our cautious i'm here is professor of journalism at the applied sciences university and from boston we have rami corey senior public policy fellow and adjunct professor of journalism at the american university of beirut thank you all very much indeed for joining us can i start with you joseph sayyid hariri said that conditions that have prompted him to quit are similar to those in two thousand and five just before his own father rafik hariri was assassinated what with tb referring to well you must been referring to the outside intervention obviously lebanon has alway

against his will and promised he would return to beirut soon he also called on lebanon's hezbollah movement and iran to stay out of regional conflicts. i don't hold women like her here in the kingdom of saudi arabia i am free i have complete freedom but i want to look after my family as well i don't want to see my children have the same fate like what happened to us i'm not talking about months i'm talking about weeks i'm only talking about days and i'll go back to lebanon. saudi arabia wants the best relationship with iran but iranians should stop interfering with arab states the most important thing for me is the interest of lebanon. and i'm solemn as a professor of international diplomacy at the notre dame university in lebanon he joins us of a skype from beirut what do you envisage the next steps will be now how quickly do you expect to see saad hariri back in lebanon should he return following these remarks he's made. well base it on what was said how did he himself has said we cannot expect actually when he would be back he was asked at the same question two city four times a

flexibility and pragmatism from both sides. the leader of hezbollah says saudi arabia has declared war on lebanon. hasan nasrallah claims prime minister saad hariri — who resigned last saturday — is being detained in riyadh. the american comedian louis ck says the sexual allegations against him are true. the magazine, grazia, apologises to the hollywood star lupita nyong'o, after it airbrushed out some of her hair in an image for its cover. hello and welcome to world news today. the uk has two weeks to make it clear what it will pay to the eu when it leaves — or talks on a trade deal won't start next month. that is the ultimatum from the eu's chief negotiator, michel barnier. he says it's vital that the uk make concessions and increase its offer. the uk brexit secretary david davis says good progress has been made in talks so far, though how to resolve the border between ireland and northern ireland, remains a sticking point. our europe editor, katya adler, has been following today's talks in brussels. time is a precious commodity. and don't the uk and the eu know it. we're h

of hezbollah, after accusing them of detaining prime minister hariri in riyadh. american comedian louis ck says accusations of sexual misconduct made against him by five women are true. at the halfway mark towards brexit — an ultimatum from the eu. the uk has two weeks to clear up its position on a divorce bill if it wants trade talks to start. and supermodel naomi campbell on sexual harassment and diversity in the fashion industry. hello and welcome to bbc world news. a new faultline opening up in the middle east has prompted calls for calm among international leaders. saudi arabia has been accused of declaring war on lebanon by the leader of hezbollah, a lebanese group with close ties to iran. it follows the resignation of the lebanese prime minister a few days ago who is now in the saudi capital. there are fears lebanon is increasingly becoming a pawn in a wider regional confrontation between the major sunni power saudi arabia, and shia—dominated iran. the un secretary general has warned of ‘devastating consequences‘ if the conflict erupts. from the lebanese capital bei

balance and lebanon hezbollah leader hassan nasrallah is speaking let's just listen to the nation we know the lebanese we know the words used. that harry the prime minister and these text is not. text this text is written but as this is their language and the prime minister just read the text this is clear it was a shock and a surprise in lebanon because in politics things cannot be done that way and that it was a big surprise from the president from from the cabinet and political powers and even leaders and ministers and the present of the future. front car and it's it causes cons in lebanon because a lot of. analytic things threats rumors that's why every political power in lebanon has to. they're understanding of these political think that's why here in his back we say the following we it's not. for them really to resign on a slate we see matters go in. in a way it's not a fantastic way but it's a way that we can accept in the government and the ministerial committee as things being discussed. there and sometimes through discussions you can find some difficulties and you think of

talk to al-jazeera at this time. hezbollah leader hassan nasrallah accuses saudi arabia of forcing the lebanese prime minister to resign. although i'm maryam namazie and london you're watching al-jazeera also coming up saudi crown prince consolidate his hold on power after eleven princes and four ministers are arrested in a corruption crackdown. has pushed him aunt and four other ministers turn themselves into belgian police. syrians displaced by the fighting and there is a hit by a car bomb reported to have killed at least one hundred people. and we begin in lebanon where the leader of the group hezbollah has responded to the surprise resignation of the prime minister saad hariri in riyadh on saturday. says the move was forced by saudi arabia and was a way to score points both internally and in the region even refused to respond directly to the statement from hariri and self saying that he suspected it didn't come directly from the lebanese prime minister. and the list if there is ignition was. the decision dictated on saddam and he was not at all willing to resign it is not his decis

clear reference to hezbollah. i'm doing an issue that cuts at the heart of lebanon's political divide a divide that has shattered stability and threatened coexistence in a not so distant past that if. they don't ask what else of christian is a middle east analyst and writes if a gulf news he joins me live from beirut said hi there joseph good to have your company what do you think he's most likely to say well he's probably going to explain what he has not done during the past week namely to tell the world why he resigned from the position of prime minister he has in his previous groundsman said that his life was in danger presumably he knows something that the rest of the world does not know that in fact his life wasn't danger and that he's left the country in order to protect himself first and foremost that's one option the second option he will probably reveal is to to tell us whether or not there were circumstances that led him to make the decision that he has made what to us are we don't know we're all speculating what may have pushed him to do this but i would just like to remind

the u.s. congress against hezbollah and again. gentlemen. i have to jump in here we're going to go to a hard break and after that break we'll continue our discussion on saudi arabia and some on iran state. yes to all nations all the good. fight for many years so i know the guy. i mean sorry guys. football isn't only about what happens on the pitch pull the final school it's about the passion from the fans it's the age of the super manager kill the narrowness and spending two hundred twenty million on one player. book it's an experience like nothing else on to because i want to share what i think what i know about the beautiful guy a great so well more transfer. and thinks this minute. when we all make this manufactured sentenced to public wealth. when the ruling classes protect themselves. with the family merry go round be the one percent. we can all middle of the room sick. i mean really really. seen years ago i traveled across the united states exploring america's deadly love affair with the gun bad guy tried to get to one of my family members he would have better live better and

in the region most of which saudi arabia has had a hand in so you're right to criticize hezbollah for enter ference and arab affairs is a mockery because there is no country more aggressively pursuing interventions in regional states and neighboring states than saudi arabia and we should point to the arab league meeting on sunday which was to do for. sure yeah but at the same time hezbollah as a political party and has been elected by the people of lebanon i think that it's an important distinction as well it is and it's not for. it's not only that that's not for the sat if you're going over to me you know how about me show that i go ok i have to let me let me i had to focus i had a feeling this was going to have a political one let me let you know it means let me bring in professor marandi so we'll all go to the mics ok i would had a question but i think you've heard enough professor marandi to answer what you've heard already on the program go ahead please well hezbollah is a part of the government and the government recognizes. the has it will our armed wing in lebanon and it i

been increased sanctions by the u.s. congress against hezbollah and against. general nader is talking about how. i have to jump in here we're going to go to a hard break and out for that break we'll continue our discussion on saudi arabia and some on iran state with our team. because there's a survival guide books they say they're all going to start saying that are. you sure it's. going to the. next. oh you know. repatriations look at the rest is seventy years. old the seventy guys record. in america a college degree requires a great deal. paying a decade's long debt. studying so hard it requires trust just. go through humiliation to enter an elite society. and paci dead sometimes quite literally. wants other true colors of universities in the u.s. . hey everybody i'm stephen bob taft hollywood guy suspects every proud american first of all i'm just george bush and r.v. to say this is my buddy max famous financial guru and we're just a little bit different i'm not a. good one i know no one knows up with all the drama happening in our country i'm shooting the road have fun every day am

fierce critic of iran and hezbollah but starting in two thousand and eleven he spent three years in self-imposed exile in saudi arabia and france after a hezbollah led the alliance left his government and he returned to lebanon in two thousand and fourteen two years later lebanon's parliament swore in a new cabinet dominated by hezbollah and its allies it was a huge political victory for the iran back group leader turned to the prime minister's office after hezbollah backed candidate michele our own became president let's go now to. who is in beirut for us so india's what has been the reaction there to this sudden decision by lebanon's prime minister to resign. has a lot of shock at a lot of disbelief we've course but reaching out to as many people as we can since this announcement was made as speaking to those who are close to the prime minister then telling al-jazeera they're just as surprised as anyone else they had no idea that this sort of resignation was coming they had no clue that the prime minister was going to step down and certainly had no indication that the prime minist

by the u.s. congress against hezbollah and against. general motors talking about how. i have to jump in here we're going to go to a hard break and after that break we'll continue our discussion on saudi arabia and some on iran state with r.t. . yes will this is how the. welcome back to crossfire all things considered i'm peter about your money we're discussing saudi arabia. ok martin let me go back to you brought up the topic where i wanted to go with on this program that let's talk about the iran angle here i mean it seems that that's part of the the chessboard right here is the crown prince trying to make some kind of you know grand gesture or leave his footprint in history i mean i mean again you know looking at what's going on in the region failure in syria failure in yemen i mean maybe you should step back a little bit here disable destabilizing lebanon i mean now you're you know we have this rhetorical war which is always there with their two one level level or another but i mean it looks like you know he's priming up the region to get used to a conflict with the route and

particularly to the government i mean we hear from hezbollah we hear from people who are not members of hezbollah the same thing he is our prime minister we want him back yes they have been used to not worry about a civil war maybe many many from the outside they are seeing the country that it would head towards civil war again after what happened after the sytycd nation that it is exactly that what it about something bigger than this about the c. ninety or one nine hundred eighty two would happen again would it be again a lib i don't which is the israeli invasion i mean if you take a look about so you think there's an you think there's the israeli component in this possibly that's what the authorities are saying there's a big settlement is going on in the region and that is ignatius part of it if you take a look at what trump is saying and tweeting we're going to cut it on its head hezbollah and lebanon very soon if you hear what the saudis thought it is they are talking about the politicians after the head it is ignatius said that actually in his a designation that i'm designing becau

statements about how the law should be. should be districted. hezbollah should not have a free hand in it ok ok ok so this is all about just syria so this is all about a little bit and this is all about hezbollah then let me go to show i mean in beirut i mean one can easily make the claim that saudi arabia is meddling in lebanon and in yemen ok i mean i i don't see where you find the moral equivalence right there ok i mean so in beirut here i mean what is in play here because. seeing a country like saudi arabia claim it's making reforms considering it's a in a ta crissy religious a taco sea and it's reaching out to the west saying it's reforming and it wants to reorder the middle east i mean. that's destabilizing in itself because we don't know what the outcomes are at home and we certainly know what the outcomes are abroad ok go ahead in beirut. the saudis are in a very precarious situation i mean you know if you're going to take an aggressive stance in your neighborhood or at home one of the things you have to do is make sure you have cover so if you're going to move forward with an

against his will and promised he would return to beirut soon he also called on lebanon's hezbollah movement and iran to stay out of regional conflicts and hold them like her here in the kingdom of saudi arabia i am free i have complete freedom but i want to look after my family as well i don't want to see my children have the same fate like what happened to us i'm not talking about months i'm talking about weeks i'm only talking about days i'll go back to lebanon. saudi arabia wants the best relationship with iran but iranians should stop interfering with arab states the most important thing for me is the interest of lebanon. holder has more now from the lebanese capital beirut. the aim of this interview really is trying to convince the majority of the lebanese that he is not a hostage that he is he has the freedom of movement and he is not being dictated by the saudi arabians are not dictating to him what to say or what to do but i think he has sort of explained what it will take to resolve this in political crisis when he said that i am ready to withdraw my resignation if this as

weeks ago he was criticizing iran hezbollah saying that their hands are going to be chopped off he didn't even mention it or iran he even said that he's looking forward to a partnership with all political parties in the country what is clear peter is that there has been intensive discussions behind closed doors and diplomacy in front of the cameras as well france is leading this mediation efforts how do you to himself he was in egypt with president sisi late yesterday before arriving in lebanon france and egypt trying to find a solution to this crisis because clearly the international community did not want to see another failed state in the region it is a turbulent region they wanted to shield levanon. from the crises in the region and the resignation really was an attempt by saudi arabia to curb hezbollah's influence that attempt really backfired because what happened in lebanon is all the political parties came together because they felt that in one way or another saddle had was a pawn being used by saudi arabia with the aim of causing some sort of strife in lebanon and when he

interference from iran and its lebanese ally hezbollah or us actually it's a direct tellus and says there's no legitimate role for what he calls foreign forces militias or armed elements in lebanon they are the harder reports now from beirut. citizens of saudi arabia and its gulf allies visiting or living in lebanon are leaving it's not the first time gulf countries tell their citizens it is not safe to stay lebanon has long been entangled in the saudi iranian power struggle across the region but the latest warning heightened tensions after the resignation of lebanon's prime minister saad howdy but alongside the tensions there are growing signs of lebanese unity in what many see as saudi interference in their country the resignation was sudden raising concerns about the circumstances behind the decision there is also concern about how to ease freedom of movement he may have been seen since he made the announcement in riyadh but the prime minister hasn't made any more statements lebanon's president michel aoun believes how he is under house arrest he told a saudi arabia the fear in b

hezbollah movement part of her is governing coalition says saudi arabia is holding him against his will hezbollah believes by forcing her very to resign saudi arabia has declared war on lebanon the u.s. has joined the u.n. in calling for stability in lebanon warning regional powers against using the country for proxy conflicts we have a lot to get to with our guests but first this report from a hoarder in beirut. citizens of saudi arabia and its gulf allies visiting or living in lebanon are leaving it's not the first time gulf countries tell their citizens it is not safe to stay lebanon has long been entangled in the saudi iranian power struggle across the region but the latest warning heightened tensions after the resignation of lebanon's prime minister saad howdy but alongside the tensions there are growing signs of lebanese unity in what many see as saudi interference in their country the resignation was sudden raising concerns about the circumstances behind the decision there is also concern about how to ease freedom of movement he may have been seen since he made the announcem

says acts of aggression have been committed by the lebanon based group hezbollah which is backed by iran lebanon's prime minister sadly how do you resigned on saturday he was in the united arab emirates for talks holder has the latest from beirut. and some analysts are even saying that these statements by saudi officials a number of saudi officials are unprecedented and they're analyzing this is a declaration of war against lebanon telling lebanon lebanese leaders need to choose between peace or terror in other words telling them not to cooperate or deal with hezbollah now hezbollah of course is a party that has an armed wing it's a. arms has always been a source of contention in lebanon its forces are fighting alongside the syrian president bashar assad but hezbollah is also a political party it has members in government it has members in parliament it has allies it has supporters here so telling lebanese leaders to choose between a terror and and peace really so people are concerned and some statements are even saying there are those who will stop hezbollah and make them return to

by you know how do these resignation was a saudi move against hezbollah and by extension of course iran and ally of hezbollah so what is next this is the question people here are asking what sort of pressure will saudi arabia exert on the on lebanon and on the lebanese economic pressure financial pressure tens of thousands of lebanese work in the gulf are they going to be sent home are they going to be allowed to send money back to their families many questions are being asked here but the feeling is that saudi arabia is going to try to push it's really bringing the battlefield to lebanon this lebanon becoming really a center stage of this rivalry and watch saudi arabia wombs is the removal of hezbollah both in terms of its political influence and of kools its military wing being reined in what is hezbollah saying. well yes like you mentioned the political and the armed wing political of course has been as a member of government a member of parliament its armed wing is really stronger than the national army now we've heard from the secretary general of hezbollah a few days ago hass

now been inspired minister saad hariri says hezbollah must stop interfering in regional conflicts and accept a neutral policy to bring an end to the political crisis here is waiting for the outcome of the president's talks with political before deciding whether to withdraw his offer of resignation then a hoarder has the story. all smiles or saddle happy they left a meeting with president michel and the prime minister didn't say if they discussed his demand that lebanon stick by the state policy of staying out of regional conflicts but he appeared to be in a good mood the prime minister suspended his resignation last week to give the president time to renew lebanon's commitment to what is known as a dis association policy it is a reference to hezbollah how did he has said he would resign if the party doesn't stay out of regional conflicts hezbollah's parliamentary representative was among the political figures received by the president as part of his consultations to reach a consensus but has not discussed how to protect lebanon how to govern neutrality and resuming the work of the gov

arrested in a corruption crackdown hezbollah leader hassan nasrallah accuse a saudi arabia of forcing the lebanese prime minister to resign and donald trump's commerce secretary is among the names revealed in a massive document leak that details how the world's elite hide their well. at least twenty people have been killed in a shooting at a church east of san antonio in the u.s. state of texas a man entered the church in the small town of sutherland springs and started firing at people before police managed to contain the situation local media reports suggest the gunman is now dead specialist firearms and explosives agents are at the scene where community church leaders have been describing the events immediately following the attack. it was probably about eleven. eleven fifteen or so we got some people in our church we had the deputy and some other people in our church when we got a call that there was and that if you were going to she was going on down to earth or first baptist church those people first responders immediately starts to come down to help if pakistan has a fa

latest will headlines from france twenty four. the hezbollah leader lashes out at saudi arabia accusing the kingdom of declaring war on lebanon. as well as detataining the country's prime minister the u u. s. secretary of state saves regional powers. shouldn't use this crisis proxy conflicts. almost two years after islamic state group sympathizes attack the french capital the paris prosecutor. thinks there are still areas of mystery that ongoing investigation. post while morons. today's. artists. wanting to return to thatt. and the american in chinese president spain buried. she is of the few share of global trade. the apec summit in vietnam. states the u. . s.. the pain say is that globalization is now irreversible . first then it's almost a week since lebanon's prime minister announced that he was star. but his. it sure is still. center of growing regional. it's friday the leader of hezbollah sees that saudi arabia has declared war on lebanon. and the around back group that he heads up with hassan nasrallah. accusing riyadh of detaining saad hariri and forcing him to resign erin oaken

once hezbollah fight finishes its fight in syria along with you one that it will be taking control within lebanon that's not acceptable to the the lebanese represented by side with harry and others and hence all your neighbors taken advantage of that taking lebanon into this new theater of proxy conflicts in the region so all in all very dangerous for lebanon very dangerous for the eastern mediterranean. credibly dangerous for the arab world and as we've seen from the shooting of missile that we're just talking about it's also dangerous for saudi arabia dangerous for regional security well as we mentioned in my interview with marwan lebanon's prime minister has resigned saad hariri made the televised address from the saudi capital riyadh saying he was stepping down because he feared assassination in a statement hariri also lashed out at iran and its lebanese ally has been accusing both of destabilizing the region more that story now from the us though. it was an announcement if you were expecting. i hereby announce my resignation as prime minister from the lebanese government known

after he resigned in riyadh saying if he had for his life the leader of iran seventies hezbollah says hariri is being held against his will have a live report from beirut also on the great trump talks tough to asian leaders speaking at the apec summit in vietnam a u.s. president says he'll no longer be taken for a ride on trade volleying to put america's interests first and stark contrast china's president is backing more globalization so what will this mean for u.s. china relations and where out of the office on equal pay day women turn off their e-mail to protest against gender pay gap campaign is want to highlight the fact that women are effectively working for free for the rest of the year makes for what this pay gap looks like iran. world and ask why it will take more than two centuries to correct it. there are still nearly six hundred refugees at a recently closed australian prison camp in papa new guinea and with threats of force to remove them there are fears about what will happen next connect with us throughout the show using the hash tag it's a news group. here with a

economy exactly against hezbollah in lebanon we don't know but definitely there is something cocked and being stand on and against hezbollah in lebanon. so the conflict between the two regional powers is escalating not only in yemen saudi arabia is accused of stirring up war against lebanon that allegation came from the leader of lebanon's hezbollah political and militant group which is backed by iran and while there and it's obvious that saudi arabia has declared war on the entire nation of lebanon not just has been lost in lebanon. the leader of hezbollah actually went on to claim that the lebanese prime minister is actually being held under house arrest by the saudis calling it an unprecedented in for intervention in lebanon's internal affairs and that's because lebanon's outgoing prime minister hasn't been seen since last week when he announced his resignation in the saudi capital and what's more surprising is that harare's own party back in lebanon who is in opposition to has also think the same thing that he was forced to make that resignation speech by saudi arabia and that he's

-jazeera. saudi arabia says the lebanese government and hezbollah will be dealt with as one declaring war against riyadh. and saudis anticorruption purge widens with the apparent backing of the us president. later watching on his their arms a home run in doha these are our top stories coming up in the next half hour. we have a lot of mental health problems in our country as do other countries donald trump says the shooting of twenty six people in texas is a health issue not a gun control issue plus. i'm just feeling i'm saving nine lives right now so. yes i think anybody that loves sunny must think about it. it's a dog escort service passengers are asked to take stray dogs from new mexico to homes four thousand kilometers away. welcome to the program saudi arabia says lebanon will be dealt with as a government that's declared war against it is a major development amid escalating tension in the region between saudi arabia and iran in comments to state media the saudi minister for golf fans return to the role of iran with lebanon to mia the lebanon based iran backed group hezbollah has

apparently insisting that once hezbollah fight finishes its fight in syria along with iran that it will be taking control within lebanon that's not acceptable to the the lebanese represented by side with harry and others and hence all your neighbors taken advantage of that taking lebanon into this new theater of proxy conflicts in the region so all in all very dangerous for lebanon very dangerous for the eastern mediterranean. credibly dangerous for the arab world and as we've seen from the shooting of missile that we're just talking about it's also dangerous for saudi arabia dangerous for regional security was we heard lebanon's prime minister has resigned so are the remains the televised address from the saudi capital riyadh saying that he was stepping down because he was in fear of being assassinated in a statement who really also lashed out at iran and its lebanese ally hezbollah accusing both of the stabilizing the region well the story from. it was an announcement if you were expecting. me i hereby announce my resignation as prime minister from the lebanese government known as the wi

action against lebanon or against those who who support hezbollah in lebanon the saudi state minister for gulf affairs actually tweeting and saying that expect escalatory measures but they're not saying what measures they're going to take against lebanon it has to be made clear that the saudi the resignation of saddam had it was a saudi move against hezbollah and saudi officials have made it very clear to lebanese officials either you curb hezbollah's influence and you are on our side or you will be considered an enemy so very uncertain times in lebanon. or france's president says he will discuss hariri with the saudi crown prince during a last minute visit to riyadh speaking in dubai emmanuel markham was asked about his contacts with hariri and whether the lebanese prime minister might be heading for france back to inform and it says that we've had some informal contact which doesn't give me anything so officially regarding this today all accounts says we did not receive any such request. iraq's foreign minister is appealing against any escalation of violence in the region speaking t

resignation while visiting saudi arabia he accused hezbollah and iran of destabilizing the region his surprise announcement threw lebanon's fragile political order into disarray president accused the saudis of an act of aggression against lebanon and holding how to really against his will the saudis sav the fear for his safety back home after visiting france and egypt how did he eventually landed back in lebanon on tuesday and paid his respects at the grave of his father a heavy the former prime minister was assassinated in a massive explosion in beirut twelve years ago his son called on all parties to stay away from regional conflicts but after meeting president our own how did it decided to suspend his resignation. to the islands designed with down the i one i stressed my commitment to cooperate with the president i will for the sake of lebanon to keep our country away from wars and disputes i have discussed my resignation with the president and he asked me not to resign now and to keep it until more consultation about the reasons behind my resignation. lebanon's political crisis is

politician whereas lebanon's president is a long term ally of hezbollah he even claimed riyadh might have forced the prime minister to resign because it felt he hadn't done more to stand up to the iran backed hezbollah. looks at why many fear the country could turn into a saudi arabian proxy war. beirut the lebanese capital nicknamed the riviera of the middle east it's an oasis of calm in an often troubled region but that wasn't always the case the city was the center of a bloody civil war that raged from night. here outside the holiday. thousands of men fought for control of a number of luxury hotels in this area the holes in the wall a testament to the. stability for the past but the resignation of lebanon's prime minister saad hariri announced live while he was in saudi arabia there are fears that some regional countries are trying to push lebanon back into civil strife to pressure the shia political party has but one another i think the saudi decided to escalate if they want to take a very strong position. against hezbollah and they knowing or forces against against hezbollah so

hariri as a politician whereas lebanon's president is a long term ally of hezbollah he even claimed to riyadh might have forced the prime minister to resign in a bid to weaken hezbollah which receives support from iran artie's i saw the looks at why many fear the country could turn into a saudi arabia in a proxy war. beirut the lebanese capital nicknamed the riviera of the middle east it's an oasis of calm in an often troubled region but that wasn't always the case the city was the center of a bloody civil war that raged from the one nine hundred seventy five to one nine hundred ninety degrees for too long sectarian lines which are still present across the country today. here outside the holiday inn hotel the marks of that war are still visible thousands of men fought for control of a number of luxury hotels in this area the holes in the wall a testament to that fighting. this. while his street the green line the predominantly muslim west of the city for the mostly christian east today the story is very different many religious groups lived together in the country and the stability

long term ally of hezbollah pavan claimed riyadh might have forced the prime minister to resign because he felt a hey haven't done enough to stand up to the iran backed hezbollah the ali looks at why many fear the country could turn into a saudi a rainy and proxy war. beirut the lebanese capital nicknamed the riviera of the middle east it's an oasis of calm in an often troubled region but that wasn't always the case the city was the center of a bloody civil war that raged from one nine hundred seventy five to one nine hundred ninety it was for too long sectarian lines which is still present across the country today. here outside the holiday inn hotel the marks of that war are still visible thousands of men fought for control of a number of luxury hotels in this area the holes in the wall a testament to that fighting. for the past twenty seven years but with the resignation of lebanon regional countries trying to positions were considered as a declaration it's one another they want us to humiliate and fight one another i think the saudi decided to escalate they want to take a ver

term plan to try and destabilize lebanon to shake tiny lebanon so as to make a point to hezbollah and to the region that there's a new there's a new guy in town a new leader in saudi arabia who's got a new agenda to play out it was a double whammy i mean there was also some talk about mr hariri his connections with some of these leading businessmen who have been arrested so it was a two in one for the saudis feel like you get about the prime minister of lebanon may quitting. blamed around and as but large said they were sowing conflict that is there any connection to iran and has below or is this a smokescreen. now it's smoke and mirrors it's a sort of a theater being played out i mean you know it's very much to the saudis. objective on israel's objective because the meetings between the crown prince donald trump something will. last week three nights in a row that says a lot about what's been going on and who's pulling the strings you know there is an agenda to to try and destabilize iran and to and to create some sort of tension in the region and these are the first steps today orde

iran and hezbollah asserting strife in the region live out of beirut al-jazeera is in test time is that for us that may have to interrupt you if president trump comes out and begins to speak but we've seen some pretty strong rhetoric from saudi arabia's foreign minister what's been the reaction that to it. indeed some very strong rhetoric and sincere and here in lebanon that that rhetoric could ultimately start turning into q-tip actions now at this stage nobody is suggesting that any kind of violent response will be carried out but we could see saudi arabia impose sanctions of some sort on the lebanese government remember the language here that was used that the lebanese government is being accused of essentially carrying out or are behaving as a country in conflict with saudi arabia and this of course is designed to put pressure on one of the most powerful blocs within the government here in lebanon and that is hezbollah hezbollah while of course a very powerful armed group here in lebanon it is also a very potent political force as well and of course the basis of mr hariri is re

interference from iran and its lebanese hezbollah bought hezbollah's leader says how to quit. accusing saudi arabia of detaining and not letting them return home u.s. secretary of state has cautioned all sides to respect lebanon's integrity and independence warning regional powers against using it as a venue for proxy conflicts the u.n. secretary general is warning that new conflict in the region could have devastating consequences all of this as citizens of saudi arabia kuwait down by a crane begin to leave lebanon after being encouraged to do so by their governments so you know hala reports from beirut. citizens of saudi arabia and its gulf allies visiting or living in lebanon are leaving it's not the first time gulf countries tell their citizens it is not safe to stay lebanon has long been entangled in the saudi iranian power struggle across the region but the latest warning heightened tensions after the resignation of lebanon's prime minister saad howdy but alongside the tensions there are growing signs of lebanese unity in what many see as saudi interference in their country satur