Hezbollah Leader Praises Iranian-Saudi Reconciliation

Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah Secretary-General of Lebanese Hezbollah has praised the Iranian-Saudi reconciliation agreement that was announced on March 10 after breakthrough talks in the Chinese capital, Beijing, calling it a “good development”.

Under the agreement, Iran and Saudi Arabia will reestablish diplomatic relations, reopen embassies and reimplement a security pact that was signed in 2001.

“This is a good development,” said Nasrallah in a televised speech addressing a memorial ceremony for Hezbollah commander Assad Saghir who passed away a week earlier after a struggle with cancer. “We have complete confidence that this will not come at our expense.”

Nasrallah cautioned that the full implications of the reconciliation agreement were not yet known but said Hezbollah was “happy”.

“It’s an important development, of course, and if it proceeds in its natural course it could open up horizons in the entire region, including in Lebanon,” he added.

While Iran is the main backer of Hezbollah, Saudi Arabia is known for supporting the opponents of the group in Lebanon. The reconciliation agreement could ease tensions within Lebanon. However, it will not likely end the country’s political and economic crises.

Commenting on the agreement, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud said that Lebanon needs a Lebanese rapprochement, not an Iranian-Saudi rapprochement.

“Lebanon must look at its interest, and its politicians must give precedence to the Lebanese interest over any other interest,” the minister told Al-Arabiya TV.

All in All, the Iranian-Saudi agreement was well-received not only in Lebanon, but also in Syria and Yemen. Both Tehran and Riyadh appear to be determined to de-escalate. However, it is still not clear how the agreement will impact the Middle East.

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