The French president’s office says that Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri has accepted an invitation to come to France after his surprise resignation from Saudi Arabia.
An official in President Emmanuel Macron’s office said Thursday that Hariri is expected in France in the coming days. The official was not authorized to be publicly named.
Hariri, citing Iran and Hezbollah’s meddling in the region, announced his resignation from Saudi Arabia. He has not returned to Lebanon since, and the Lebanese president has refused to accept his resignation before he returns.
The announcement came as French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian is in Saudi Arabia where he is meeting with Hariri, the Saudi crown prince and the Saudi king.
Macron on Wednesday invited Hariri and his family to come to France amid allegations that Saudi Arabia is holding him prisoner.
