Hezbollah Official: Halt of Military Aid Sign of Saudis’ Failure to Win Lebanon’s Support
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A senior official at the Lebanese Hezbollah Resistance Movement denounced the Saudi regime's decision to stop military aid to Lebanon as a sign of Riyadh’s failure to attract the Arab country’s political support on regional issues.
Speaking to the Tasnim News Agency on Sunday, Nazih Mansour, a former parliamentarian, pointed to a recent decision by Saudi Arabia to halt a multi-billion dollar package of financial aid for the Lebanese Army and security services, saying that it is a sign of the regime’s failure to win the support of the Lebanese nation and government.
It shows that Lebanon’s nation has backed the anti-Israeli Axis of Resistance, to which Riyadh is opposed, he added.
“Saudi Arabia’s move also is indicative of the fact that Saudis are not seeking to counter Daesh (also known as ISIL), because the Lebanese Army is currently fighting against Daesh, al-Nusra Front and other terrorist groups in Lebanon,” he noted.
Saudi Arabia said Friday that it was stopping payment on $4 billion worth of military aid and other support for the army and security services of Lebanon because the country did not condemn attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran.
Saudi Arabia announced the aid cuts through a statement on the website of its state news agency, citing an unnamed Saudi official.
Despite its history of supporting Lebanon, the statement said, “the kingdom of Saudi Arabia encounters positions against it in Arab, regional and international forums in light of the seizure by what is called Lebanese Hezbollah of the state administration.”
Saudi Arabia was stopping a $3 billion grant to buy French arms for the Lebanese Army as well as what remained of $1 billion allocated for Lebanon’s internal security force, the statement added.
