Saudi Halts Military Aid to Lebanon over Hizbullah, Foreign Ministry Stances

Saudi Arabia said Friday it has halted a $3 billion program for military supplies to Lebanon in protest against Hizbullah's policies and recent diplomatic stances by the Lebanese foreign ministry.

In light of positions taken by Hizbullah the kingdom proceeded to "a total evaluation of its relations with the Lebanese republic," an unnamed official told the Saudi Press Agency.

It added that the remainder of a $1 billion financing package for Lebanese security forces had been suspended, in a separate decision.

The $3 billion program financed military equipment provided by France.

A Lebanese military source told AFP that the "Lebanese army command hasn't been informed" of the Saudi aid halt.

Lebanon received the first tranche of weapons designed to bolster its army against jihadist threats, including anti-tank guided missiles, in April last year but the program then reportedly ran into obstacles.

In June a French diplomatic source denied that the deal had been canceled but said there were delays, while the Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said the agreement was proceeding normally.

Alleged leaders of Lebanon-based Hizbullah are under sanctions by Saudi Arabia.

Hizbullah is supported by Saudi Arabia's regional rival Iran, with whom relations have worsened this year.

Riyadh cut diplomatic ties with Tehran last month after demonstrators stormed its embassy and a consulate following the Saudi execution of a prominent Saudi Shiite cleric and activist, Nimr al-Nimr.

The official quoted by the Saudi Press Agency said the kingdom had noticed "hostile Lebanese positions resulting from the stranglehold of Hizbullah on the State."

Syria's war has exacerbated political rivalries within Lebanon, which has been without a president for almost two years because of fierce disagreements between Hizbullah and its rivals.

The official cited by Saudi Press Agency said Lebanon had not joined condemnation of the attacks on Saudi Arabia's diplomatic missions in Iran, neither at the Arab League nor at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

He also deplored the "political and media campaigns inspired by Hizbullah against Saudi Arabia," as well as what he called the group's "terrorist acts against Arab and Muslim nations."

Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Tuesday accused Turkey and Saudi Arabia of dragging the entire region into war and said "victory" was imminent for his group and its Syrian regime allies.

Nasrallah said the two countries have been pushing to send international ground forces to Syria because they "are not ready to accept a political solution to the conflict in Syria, which is why they want to continue the war and destroy it."

Saudi Arabia supports rebels opposed to Syria's government.

The United Arab Emirates supported the Saudi move, sayind it resulted from repeated Lebanese violations of Arab solidarity in a "blatant, offensive, disturbing and surprising" manner after Hizbullah "hijacked" Lebanon's agenda, the official WAM news agency reported, citing the foreign ministry.

The Donas program was to ship vehicles, helicopters, drones, cannons and other equipment to Lebanon.

After an initial delivery of 48 Milan anti-tank missiles in April the program was delayed as Saudi authorities sought a review of certain aspects of the deal, a French source said earlier.

But France's Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian later said "the execution of Donas resumed normally at the end of 2015," as reflected in the signing of contracts with the companies concerned.

This included a deal for about 200 armored vehicles.