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Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat
World
Asharq Al-Awsat

Saudi Arabia Refutes Macron’s Claims about Holding Lebanese PM 'Hostage'

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri. (Reuters)

Saudi Arabia refuted on Tuesday recent claims by French President Emmanuel Macron that Riyadh had held Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri "hostage" in 2017, reported the Saudi Press Agency.

An official source from the Foreign Ministry described the allegations as untrue, stressing that the Kingdom has supported and will continue to support Lebanon’s stability and security.

It will also back Hariri through all possible means.

The source accused Iran and its pawns, such the terrorist militia “Hezbollah”, of dragging Lebanon and the region towards instability.

The party, it added, is accused of assassinating former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005. It has also been involved in the murder of French nationals in Lebanon.

Iran, meanwhile, is arming terrorist militias, including Yemen’s Houthis, which it provides with weapons and ballistic missiles that they are firing against Saudi cities.

The Saudi source stressed that the Kingdom looks forward to cooperating with Macron to confront the forces of chaos and destruction in the region, starting with Iran and its pawns.

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