Arab League Head Urges Aoun, Miqati to Take 'Steps' to Ease KSA Row

Arab League chief Ahmed Abul Gheit on Saturday expressed concerns about the deterioration in ties between Lebanon and several Gulf countries over statements made by Information Minister George Kordahi.

Abul Gheit said the crisis caused by Kordahi's comments has led to a "great setback" to Lebanon's relationship with the Gulf countries.

He urged Lebanon's president and prime minister to take "necessary steps" to ease the tension, especially with Saudi Arabia. He did not elaborate which steps should be taken.

Abul Gheit also called on Gulf officials to review measures that could have negative consequences on Lebanon's already battered economy.

Kordahi has described the war in Yemen as an 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.

Yemen has been convulsed by civil war since 2014, when the Iran-backed Huthi rebels captured the capital, Sanaa, and much of the north of the country. That forced the internationally recognized government to flee to the south, then to Saudi Arabia. A Saudi-led coalition entered the war in March 2015, backed by the United States, to try to restore the government to power. Despite a relentless air campaign and ground fighting, the war has deteriorated largely into a stalemate and spawned the world's worst humanitarian crisis.