Jumblat: Gulf Measures against Lebanon Result of Nasrallah and Bassil's Responses

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat said on Sunday that the measures taken by Gulf countries against Lebanon were the result of fiery statements made by Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and the ill-defined stances of Foreign Minster Jebran Bassil.

“The Gulf measures against Lebanon were the result of the convulsive statements made by Nasrallah and the ambiguous stances of Bassil,” Jumblat told the daily al-Arab in an interview.

Relations between Riyadh and Lebanon deteriorated in February, when Saudi Arabia halted a grant to the army in protest against Hizbullah's virulent criticism of the kingdom and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil's abstention from voting in favor of Arab League resolutions condemning attacks against the Saudi embassy in Iran in January.

The kingdom urged its citizens against traveling to Lebanon.

Gulf countries also issued similar advisories.

On the U.S. restrictions on Hizbullah, Jumblat said that the Lebanese delegations that went to Washington to counter the effect of the measures following the nuclear agreement with Iran are not sufficient: “The U.S. measures against Hizbullah are linked to the Pentagon and the U.S. Department of Finance. The Delegations that visited Washington to refine the positions are not sufficient.”

On the stalled presidential elections he stated that his political party and the March 14 camp are ready to elect a president, he said: “I do not think that Hizbullah and Iran can tolerate the collapse of the financial and economic situation in Lebanon for another year of two.”

Lebanon presidential post has been vacant since May 2014 when the term of President Michel Suleiman ended.

Conflicts between the rival March 8 and March 14 camps have thwarted all efforts aiming at electing a successor.