BEIRUT — Ten days after his surprise resignation plunged Lebanon into crisis and raised fears of regional turmoil, Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Tuesday called on everyone to “chill.”

In his first personal tweet since traveling to Saudi Arabia earlier this month, where he announced he would step down in a prerecorded message that led many to think he was being held against his will, Hariri said he planned to return to Lebanon in the next two days.

“People, I am fine. And God willing I will come back in a couple of days. Let’s chill.” Hariri wrote, adding that he was in good shape.

Lebanon’s foreign minister meanwhile said during a trip to Paris that his country may resort to international law to determine Hariri’s condition, suggesting he is being held under some form of house arrest, if he doesn’t return to Lebanon.

Hariri’s surprise resignation and then his scarce communication led many Lebanese to speculate that he was being held against his will and stripped of his phone despite Saudi denials. A live interview Sunday with a Lebanese TV station affiliated with his political party did little to dispel such fears.

On Tuesday, Hariri met with the Lebanese Maronite patriarch, who visited Saudi Arabia, the first publicized meeting with a Lebanese official. But there were no TV cameras allowed into the meeting and only photos of the encounter were released.

President Michel Aoun has refused to accept Hariri’s Nov. 4 resignation and urged him to come home. Hezbollah and other rivals have suggested that Hariri’s Saudi patrons forced him to resign to wreck the coalition government. The coalition government includes the Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Speaking from Paris, Lebanon’s foreign minister said he hoped to resolve the “ambiguous” Hariri situation.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.