Meanwhile, former (and to some still the incumbent) Prime Minister of Lebanon Saad Al Hariri declared that he was not being held in KSA against his will in a televised interview with Lebanon’s Al Mustaqbal TV (watch, runtime: 1:14:33, and pause at 48:10 for an awkward side-glance at an off-camera presence). He reopened the possibility that he may not formally resign when he returns to Lebanon in the next few days, saying that he announced the resignation to “shock” Lebanese politics into recognizing the dangers of Hezbollah. His interview comes as Saudi Arabia called for an urgent meeting of the Arab League in Cairo next week to discuss Iranian interference in the region, an official league source told MENA.

Foreign Affairs Minister Sameh Shoukry is currently conducting a regional tour to discuss the Lebanon problem among other issues. He met with Bahraini King Hamad Al Khalifa yesterday on the second leg of his tour where Yemen, Syria and Qatar were also discussed, according to a statement. Shoukry had earlier been to Jordan where discussions primarily focused on the Palestinian reconciliation agreement and the resumption of peace talks with Israel, Jordan’s Petra News Agency reports.