Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced the recall of its ambassador to Lebanon for consultations and requested the departure of the Lebanese ambassador to the Kingdom within the next 48 hours.
The Kingdom's government decided to stop all Lebanese imports to Saudi Arabia and banned Saudi citizens from traveling to Lebanon, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
Hours later, the Kingdom of Bahrain ordered the Lebanese ambassador to leave the country within two days for the same reason, Bahrain's foreign ministry said.
Lebanon's prime minister and president discussed the Saudi decision and asked the country's information minister to take the "appropriate decision,” an apparent call for him to resign in hopes it will ease the tension.
Saudi state media added in its report that the kingdom's ambassador to Beirut was also asked to head back home. The report said that the move will not affect tens of thousands of Lebanese citizens and their families who live and work in the kingdom.
The decision came days after a video circulated on social media in which Lebanese Information Minister George Kordahi described the war in Yemen as aggression by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. He added that the war in Yemen is "absurd” and must stop because he is opposed to wars between Arabs.
Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati's office said he discussed the situation with President Michel Aoun before calling Kordahi and asking him to take "the appropriate decision for the sake of national interests.”
Mikati expressed regret for the Saudi move and urged the kingdom to review its decision. Mikati added that his government "categorically rejects" anything that harms the "deep brotherly relations” with Saudi Arabia.
Mikati said earlier that Kordahi’s comments do not represent the government’s opinion, reiterating that the minister spoke before taking his post last month.
