A sign with the portrait of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Marouahine, southern Lebanon October 11, 2022. Credit: Aziz Taher/Reuters)
In a speech Friday evening, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah said the resumption of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia is "a very welcome change."
Earlier in the day, Riyadh and Tehran announced that they would resume relations within two months, following talks with China. Hezbollah is openly affiliated with the Islamic Republic of Iran.
'In the interest of the people of the region'
In a speech honoring a Hezbollah party leader, Nasrallah commented on the resumption of diplomatic relations between Riyadh and Tehran.
"This is a very welcome change because it serves the interests of the people in the region. It will help Lebanon, Yemen, Syria and others," Nasrallah then stated.
"This is an important development, which can open up horizons in the whole region, as well as in Lebanon," the Shiite party leader insisted."
Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran severed ties in 2016 after protesters in the Islamic Republic attacked Saudi diplomatic missions following Riyadh's execution of a prominent Shiite cleric.
Other Gulf countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain, subsequently reduced their diplomatic ties with Tehran in support of Riyadh.
Openness to presidential dialogue
The Hezbollah leader also used the speech to reaffirm his party's support for Sleiman Frangieh's presidential candidacy, who he referred to as a "natural candidate."
"No one is threatening anyone or putting a gun to anyone's head," Nasrallah said, responding to his detractors who accuse Hezbollah and the Amal Movement of wanting to "impose" their candidate in the election, which has been paralyzed for four months.
"Some said that we want to impose a president on Lebanon and the Lebanese. This is not the case," Nasrallah said. "We have just indicated that we support a person and that we are open to dialogue. We open the doors and want the presidential election to follow its normal course."
"There is a natural candidate, and we simply support him," Nasrallah added while also renewing the invitation to dialogue that he has addressed to other political formations.
Frangieh has not officially announced his intention to run for president but is expected to do so on Sunday. Gebran Bassil, leader of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) and Hezbollah's ally, opposes Frangieh as a presidential candidate.
Frangieh's candidacy has further affected the FPM's strained ties with the pro-Iranian party.
"Don't wait for the outside," Nasrallah reiterated, warning that "any external help is welcome, but we do not accept vetoes or dictates." Many countries regularly call on Lebanese MPs to elect a successor to former president Michel Aoun, who term ended on Oct. 31, 2022.
Since then, Parliament has held eleven failed parliamentary electoral sessions. During these sessions, the Shiite party voted blank, as did its allies in the Amal movement and the Aounist FPM.
