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| Lebanon PM Hariri says resignation on hold pending talks | Lebanon PM Hariri says resignation on hold pending talks |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri says his resignation is on hold, following a request from President Michel Aoun to wait for more dialogue. Hariri says he is committed to working with the president. | |
| In televised comments quoted by Reuters, Hariri said that he “presented my resignation to President Aoun today and he urged me to wait” for more dialogue. “I showed responsiveness to this hope.” | |
| READ MORE: Lebanon’s PM returns to Beirut after abrupt resignation while in Saudi Arabia | |
| Hariri arrived back in Beirut earlier on Wednesday, following his surprise resignation two weeks ago. Hariri’s shock resignation, which took place while he was in Riyadh, prompted many to believe that he was forced to step down due to Saudi pressure, with the assumption that Lebanon had become caught up in the ongoing tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran. | |
| Aoun refused to accept Hariri's resignation until it is presented in person. Meanwhile, Hariri denied reports that Riyadh forced him to step down. He says the claims that Saudi Arabia was keeping him against his will are merely “rumors.” | |
| Aoun, however, had been among those who believed Hariri was being “held captive” in Saudi Arabia in an “act of aggression” against Lebanon. | |
| In his resignation speech, Hariri attacked Iran and Hezbollah for spurring conflict in Arab states, and said he feared assassination. This prompted Hezbollah’s leader to accuse Saudi Arabia of declaring war on the group and on Lebanon, claiming Riyadh detained Hariri and forced him to resign in order to destabilize the country. |