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Saudi Arabia, Kuwait order citizens out of Lebanon as tensions flare

Saudi Arabia, followed by Kuwait, has ordered its citizens out of Lebanon as tensions skyrocket.

By: AP and World Israel News Staff

Saudi Arabia ordered its citizens out of Lebanon Thursday as tensions with Beirut continue to rise. Kuwait followed suit just a few hours later. Bahrain did the same earlier in the week.

Kuwait’s foreign ministry said in a statement that its decision was taken “as a precaution for any negative repercussions” in Lebanon.

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri shocked his country Saturday when he announced from Saudi Arabia that he was resigning.

Referring to the Hezbollah terror group, which is based in Lebanon and supported and funded by Iran, Hariri said, “Iran’s arm … has managed to impose a fait accompli on Lebanon through the power of its weapons.”

“They have built a state within a state,” he declared.

He has not returned to Lebanon since.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Hariri’s resignation was “a wake-up call to the international community to take action against Iranian aggression.”

Saudi Arabia has in the meantime threatened that it would deal with Lebanon as a hostile state so long as Hezbollah remains in the government.