SHAFAQNA- Iran on Tuesday called for unity among Lebanon’s political parties after the country’s Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned from his post.
In a statement on Tuesday, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran Abbas Mousavi reacted to the current situation in Lebanon after Hariri turned in his resignation to President Michel Aoun.
“We hope the Lebanese nation and government would successfully get through this serious and sensitive juncture with rapport,” Mousavi said, according to the Foreign Ministry’s website.
He also stressed the need for stability of the friendly and brotherly country of Lebanon, adding, “The Islamic Republic of Iran emphasizes the need for solidarity, unity and rapport among all Lebanese clans, parties and characters in order to maintain the country’s stability and security and to respond to the legitimate demands of the Lebanese people in a calm atmosphere”, according to Tasnim News.
Saad al-Hariri announced his resignation on Tuesday, saying that he has reached a dead end, after over a week of demonstrations as people accused his government of being corrupt and causing an economic collapse.
On October 17, the government proposed imposing a tax on Whatsapp calls, along with other austerity measures, sparking protests that paralyzed the country.
Lebanon has been under lockdown since the protests began. Banks and schools have been closed for 12 days, while protesters blocked major routes throughout the tiny eastern Mediterranean nation, CNN told.
Hariri, who was in the office since December 2016, announced his resignation during a televised address to the nation.
“I have reached a dead end today,” the 49-year-old prime minister said, adding that he should account for the nationwide public protests.
Speaking about the need for a change in his country, Hariri stated, “I’m going to the Baabda Palace to submit my resignation to the President [Michel Aoun]” in response to many Lebanese people who took to the streets, Fars News reported.