According to the Tehran Times, this same team has expressed
its concern about the anti-Hezbollah team's relentless attempt to drag Lebanon
into a “civil conflict”. Hence, they have communicated with the Shiite duo in a
bid to reach an understanding on forming a national cabinet capable of running
Lebanon until the parliamentary elections scheduled for May 2026.
They further warned Judge Nawaf Salam, the prime
minister-designate, to avoid “being manipulated as a tool of confronting the
Shiites or the resistance (movement), and to take the initiative to expand the
circle of trust in his upcoming government.”
The Saudi-American orders have dictated the renunciation of
the “January 09 National Understanding” that secured the election of Gen.
Joseph Aoun as president after pledging not to violate political balances.
Sources confirmed that Walid Bukhari, the Saudi ambassador
to Beirut, met Fouad Makhzoumi (the founder of the National Dialogue
Party and a member of the Renewal Bloc in the Lebanese
Parliament) ordering him to withdraw from his candidacy. The meeting made it
clear that the nomination of MPs Makhzoumi and Ashraf Rifi was nothing but a
poor play.
President Aoun has been reportedly quoted as saying, “I
found myself before an international and Arab opportunity to carry out a major
rescue operation. The understanding was a way to facilitate matters. As for
now, I do not know how things will go. Nevertheless, I will do my best
with the prime minister-designate so that the government is not formed in a way
that threatens the stability of the country.”
“We regret those who want to spoil the consensual beginning
of the presidential term. It is our right to demand a ‘constitutional
government’. We will monitor the steps. We are waiting – with all wisdom – and
we will see their efforts to ‘expel Israel and return the prisoners’,” said
Mohammad Raad, the chief of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc. Raad intended to
reassure the people, amidst the growing threats, that any “rebellion” will be
met with unexpected retribution that will hinder the reconstruction of what was
destroyed by the US-backed Israeli aggression.
Undeniably, Lebanon’s political dilemma has reached a
dangerous peak. The selection of Judge Nawaf Salam to form the upcoming cabinet
was nothing but a deception that the Hezbollah and Amal Movement duo were
subjected to, especially since the anti-Hezbollah team wanted this entitlement
as a political gain for Washington after its aggression failed to eliminate the
resistance movement.
Seemingly, this team will not stop at excluding the
legitimate representatives of the Shiites from the cabinet. It will take
revenge on the very existence of the Shiites in the country, simply because of
their anti-imperialism stance.
