Saad El Hariri was due to attend WYF: Lebanese official

CAIRO – 11 November 2017: “Hariri was supposed to attend the World Youth Forum 2017 in Sharm El-Sheikh as the prime minister,” spokesperson of the Lebanese Presidency Rafik Shalala said to Egyptian TV channel dmc Friday.

Shalala explained that Hariri did not inform any of the Lebanese officials of his resignation prior to the televised announcement from Riyadh last week amid a very busy schedule, and that he called Lebanese President Michel Oun afterwards, according to El-Masry El-Youm.

“Hariri is still the prime minister of Lebanon as President Oun did not accept his resignation,” Shalala added.

The spokesperson stipulated that there is a general consent among all Lebanese political and spiritual leaders on the necessity of Saad al-Hariri’s return to the country.

“There is intent to turn Lebanon into a platform for conflict like before,” Shalala added referring to Iranian intervention in Lebanon through the guerrilla group Hezbollah.

Hariri mentioned in his resignation announcement that he was threatened of assassination like his father, late Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, if he did not comply with the demands of the Iran-backed Hezbollah.

“You will meet the same fate as your father” is reportedly the threat relayed by the Supreme Leader of Iran advisor Ali Akbar Velayati to the resigned Lebanese prime minister in a meeting held on Friday, November 3.

An Iranian opposition website, Amadnews, published earlier this week a report titled "What Happened during the Meeting between Velayati and Hariri," revealing that the former threatened the latter in order to pressure him to comply with the Iranian demands regarding Hezbollah.

Velayati also threatened to spread chaos throughout Lebanon, bringing in commanders from Hezbollah's security apparatus and asking them to present documents proving that the Lebanese Future Party (led by Hariri) had provided Western sources with sensitive information that led to the elimination of Hezbollah's field commanders in Syria by Israel.

Hariri refused supporting the Iran-backed guerrilla group, and announced his resignation the following day from the Saudi capital Riyadh.

Rafik al-Hariri, originally a businessman, was the prime minister of Lebanon between 1992 and 1998, and again from 2000 till his resignation in 2004. He was assassinated on February 14, 2005, by Hezbollah militants through a car bomb, blowing up his motorcade. Rafik al-Hariri is credited for reconstructing the capital Beirut after the 15-year civil war.

In 2006, Israel imposed a blockade on Lebanon from July 12 till August 14, for a total of 34 days, because of the missile attack launched by Hezbollah on the Israeli border towns in an attempt to release the Hezbollah prisoners.

The incidents resulted in Lebanese casualties ranging between 1,191 and 1,300, mostly civilians, and 165 Israeli casualties, including 44 civilians, according to the BBC. Around one million Lebanese and between 300,000 to 500,000 Israelis were displaced, in addition to the destruction of the Lebanese infrastructure.