RIYADH/BEIRUT, 14 May 2008 — Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal yesterday warned that Iran’s support for Hezbollah’s “coup” in Lebanon would affect Tehran’s relations with Arab and Islamic countries.

The Lebanese Army, meanwhile, expanded its troop deployment to several tense areas around the country, hours after it said soldiers would use force if needed to impose order after almost a week of clashes between government supporters and Hezbollah followers.

“Of course, for Iran to back the coup that happened in Lebanon and support it will have an impact on its relations with all Arab countries,” Prince Saud said, addressing a press conference in Riyadh.

Prince Saud said the Kingdom was deeply concerned about what he called the “coup” that had taken place in Lebanon. He called on regional players not to interfere in Lebanon’s political affairs and undermine its sovereignty.

“The Kingdom renews its calls to all regional parties to respect the sovereignty and independence of Lebanon and to desist from interfering in its internal affairs and provoking sectarian strife,” the Saudi minister said.

“The Kingdom expresses its grave concern over the continuing armed confrontations in Lebanon and their spread to many Lebanese areas and cities and its strong regret over Lebanese arms being turned inward against the Lebanese, the nation and its institutions,” Prince Saud added.

Saudi Arabia has recalled its ambassador in Beirut for consultations and he will return once calm is restored, Prince Saud said, adding that the Saudi Embassy in Beirut would remain open. He urged the Lebanese Army to restore public order and called for its capacities to be bolstered, but noted that this support should come from the Lebanese government itself.

Arab League Initiative

Prince Saud warned against a continuation of the violence and backed an Arab League call for the withdrawal of armed elements from the streets of Lebanon. “We call on all Lebanese sides to respond to the honest efforts of the Arab League ... to resolve the Lebanese crisis according to the Arab initiative that aims to launch Lebanese political dialogue rather than rockets and bullets between the Lebanese people,” he said.

The Lebanese Army, which is respected by all parties, has played a central role in defusing the violence that started Wednesday by calling on armed supporters from both sides to leave the streets. But it has remained neutral in the conflict and did not intervene as Hezbollah gunmen overran much of west Beirut and the offices of parliamentary majority leader Saad Hariri.

No Surrender, Says Hariri

Hariri yesterday said there would be no political surrender to what he called a bid by Hezbollah and its Syrian and Iranian backers to impose their will on the nation by force.

“They simply are demanding that we surrender, they want Beirut to raise white flags... This is impossible,” Hariri told a news conference in Beirut in his first public appearance since Hezbollah seized western parts of the capital. “They will not be able to obtain Saad Hariri’s signature ... on a deed to surrender to the Iranian and Syrian regimes.”

Questioning Hezbollah’s promise to use its arsenal only against Israel, Hariri said: “When these same arms that came from Iran and Syria are pointed at Lebanese, it means there’s a start of maybe a civil war. We don’t want a civil war because a civil war needs two sides and we will not lead the Lebanese into a civil war.”

The Lebanese Army’s announcement yesterday signaled that it could step up its involvement to bring an end to the country’s worst internal fighting since the end of the civil war in 1990, which has left at least 54 people dead and scores more wounded.

“Army units will prevent any violations, whether by individuals or groups, in accordance with the law even if this is going to lead to the use of force,” said an army statement released early yesterday.

One reason the army had largely stayed out of the fighting was the fear that its forces could break apart along sectarian lines as they did during the civil war. The army statement said troops would prevent armed civilians from roaming the streets.

US Support for Lebanese Army

US President George W. Bush expressed his support for the Lebanese Army on Monday during an interview with Al-Arabiya television channel, saying Washington would continue to supply and train the country’s forces. “We want to make them better so they can respond,” Bush said.

The president confirmed that the US military has moved the destroyer USS Cole off the coast of Lebanon, but said it was “part of a routine training mission that had been scheduled a long time before.”

Hezbollah supporters and their allies were seen in several areas of Beirut yesterday, but none of them were carrying weapons. Streets in the capital were busy as more businesses opened, but schools and universities remained closed.

Also, many roads were still blocked by opposition supporters, including the highway leading to the country’s only international airport. The tense areas where troops were deployed yesterday included the northern city of Tripoli that witnessed heavy clashes the day before that left at least seven people wounded. Those clashes largely died down by Monday evening.

The army also continued its deployment in the mountains overlooking Beirut and several neighborhoods in the capital. Army commander Gen. Michel Sleiman is the consensus candidate for president and the army’s success in calming violence in the country could enhance his chances of being elected.

— With input from agencies