UN criticism of Lebanese officials and Arab condemnation of Hassan Nasrallah’s remarks

BEIRUT – In light of Lebanon’s biggest political and economic crises in its history, Olivier de Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, held meetings with a number of Lebanese officials and conducted a study on the economic and living situation of Lebanese. At the end of his visit to Lebanon, Schutter stated that he was very surprised by the fact that Lebanon was on its way to become a failed state, if not already, and that the needs of the population had not been met. He added that Lebanese officials were living in an imaginary world, which did not bode well for the country’s future.

This comes as Iran-proxy Hezbollah continues to make empty statements that only serve the Iranian agenda at the expense of the Lebanese people, their freedom, independence and prosperity. Statements by Hezbollah officials and leader Hassan Nasrallah have been strongly criticized by Arab officials, among them Yemeni Information Minister Moammar Eryani, who described the recent statements by Nasrallah on the Yemeni Battle of Marib as an affirmation that what is happening is a purely Iranian battle.

Eryani said the Iranian Republican Guard and the Hezbollah militia are involved on the ground in Yemen in managing military operations, arming the Houthi militias and fighting on the ground, and that the Houthis’ political and military decision depends on Iran’s destructive agenda and expansionist ambitions. Eryani called on the Lebanese people to stand up to Hezbollah and stop its interventions in Yemen and Lebanon, and called for the withdrawal of its military experts and fighters and the closure of its media channels.

Also, Saudi Prince Abdulrahman bin Musa’ad posted a tweet in response to Nasrallah’s attack on Saudi Arabia, which included an old speech by Hassan Nasrallah, in which he talked about his project to transform Lebanon into part of the greater Islamic Republic ruled by Khomeini. The Prince highlighted the contradiction in Nasrallah’s claims, and described Hezbollah as an occupier seeking to control Lebanon and ignite a civil war.

Prince Musa’ad then added a clip in which Nasrallah said that the sovereign state does not accept external dictates, and then the Prince commented sarcastically that “Nasrallah” forgot to say that it is the only party with heavy weapons that exceeds the capabilities of the Lebanese Armed Forces dozens of times.

In another context, Lebanese President Michel Aoun met with European Commission vice-president Margarita Schinas on Lebanon’s inability to bear the burden of continued Syrian displacement to Lebanon. Aoun, a Syriac Maronite, called on the EU to work to facilitate the return of Syrian displaced persons to safe Syrian areas as soon as possible.