Again, Riyadh Asks Citizens to Leave Lebanon

Saudi Arabia has asked its citizens for the second time in less than two weeks to leave Lebanon "as soon as possible" given the tension over the resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri.

The announcement early Saturday was posted on the Saudi embassy Twitter account. It came shortly after the embassy reported that it is closely following reports of an attack on two Saudi nationals in a Beirut neighborhood.

There was no immediate security report of the incident. Hariri tweeted before he left Saudi Arabia that any attack on a Saudi is an attack on him personally.

Hariri, a dual Lebanese-Saudi national, stunned Lebanon and the region when he declared his resignation from Saudi Arabia, citing meddling by Iran and its Lebanese ally Hizbullah in Arab countries affairs.

Days later, Saudi Arabia ordered its citizens out of Lebanon on Nov. 9. It was the first concrete action against the Mediterranean country after days of leveling threats against Beirut.

Hariri's resignation sparked speculations he was held against his will, and forced to resign. Hariri left to Paris early Saturday.

_