Don’t Wait for Saudi-Iran Negotiations for Choosing Lebanon’s President – Nasrallah

Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah said today in Beirut that Iran-Saudi talks will not break the stalemate over electing a new president for Lebanon. The country has been without a president since early this week, and there are no signs that the politically divided parties could agree on a compromise candidate anytime soon.

“I call for multiparty efforts to bring the presidential election to the required end. Foreign powers are saying every day that they do not want to interfere,” Nasrallah said.  “Don’t wait for Iranian-Saudi relations or negotiations between these two countries, or Iranian-American negotiations.” (The Daily Star, 6 June)

Nasrallah said that so far no date had been set for a resumption of Saudi-Iranian talks, and even when the talks resume, it was not known whether the Lebanese presidential election would be discussed.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said last month he invited his Iranian counterpart Javad to visit Riyadh for talks on Lebanese presidential stalemate.

Photo credit: Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah speaks during a televised speech in Beirut's southern suburbs. Friday, 6 June 2014. (Hasan Shaaban/The Daily Star)