Prime Minister Najib Mikati continues to seek the resignation of Information Minister George Kordahi in his attempts to resolve the Lebanon-Gulf Crisis, which has been escalating with more severe measures inflicted on Lebanon.
As of yet, Kordahi has not responded to the Lebanese premier’s calls to resign for the sake of Lebanon’s national interest. If Kordahi persists in his stance, Mikati might be forced to dismiss him from the government, according to a political source of Asharq Al Awsat.
The Lebanon-Gulf crisis was only triggered by Kordahi’s statements over the Yemeni war. Its cause is more problematic and the reasons were accumulating until it erupted two weeks ago into an alarming crisis.
The tension in the Saudi government’s relation with Lebanon is due to Hezbollah and its grip on the Lebanese successive governments that have failed to keep the Iran-affiliated party in check.
It is no secret that Hezbollah tends to act at free will outside the government’s authorities. For the Arab Gulf, it has been a growing problem since the Iran-affiliated party hasn’t been adhering to the ministerial statements to dissociate from external regional conflicts, namely Iran vs the Arab Gulf.
Instead, as deemed by the Arab Gulf states, Hezbollah continues to target them, especially Saudi Arabia and has disrupted their relations with Lebanon.
The potential resignation of Kordahi, or ultimately his dismissal, could open the path to restoring the diplomatic and economic relationship with the Arab Gulf states, yet it won’t solve the real problem.
Unable to tackle the real problem, the Lebanese Prime Minister can only seek to have Kordahi removed, and he has the support of President Michel Aoun in that. The Lebanese president has reportedly summoned Kordahi and asked him to submit his resignation.
Currently, the Kordahi’s card is being played internally by Hezbollah and the Amal movement to demand in exchange the resignation of the judicial investigator in the Beirut port explosion, Judge Tarek Bitar.
An investigation that has become a political and judicial crisis.
However, Mikati appears adamant to dissociate both crises and will have to ultimately resort to the dismissal of Kordahi. Otherwise, Lebanon will be further crippled economically with the loss of its vital economic partners, especially Saudi Arabia.
