Lebanon's information minister says ready to resign amid crisis with Gulf states

By Stephanie Radi

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AA) – Lebanese Information Minister George Kordahi on Friday said he is not in a position to challenge anyone, adding he is ready to resign if there are guarantees that the Gulf countries will change their position towards Lebanon.

“When there are guarantees, I am ready for resignation and I am not defying anyone, neither the prime minister nor Saudi Arabia which I love,” Kordahi said following his meeting with Lebanese Speaker Nabih Berri.

Relations between Gulf nations and Lebanon strained over statements made by Kordahi on the Yemeni conflict before he took his post in the new Lebanese government.

When asked in a televised interview if he "thinks that the Houthis, like Hezbollah, are defending their land as an armed organization," Kordahi responded: "Of course they are defending themselves ... My personal opinion is that this war in Yemen needs to end. Houses, buildings, villages, and cities are being attacked by fighter jets."

Angered by Kordahi’s critical comments, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, and Bahrain recalled their ambassadors from Lebanon.

Kordahi also said that there are different views regarding his resignation and went on to accuse some Lebanese officials, without naming them, of trying to take advantage of his case.

“The Gulf states are open-minded and can rise above what is happening,” Kordahi added.

Yemen has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014, when Iran-aligned Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including the capital Sanaa. A Saudi-led coalition aimed at reinstating the Yemeni government has worsened the situation and caused one of the world’s worst man-made humanitarian crises.

* Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara