



Beirut -- Lebanon Prime Minister Saad Hariri's decision to put on hold his resignation at the request of Lebanese President Michel Aoun is aimed at neutralizing Hezbollah and stopping the Iranian agenda to impose hegemony on Lebanon, according to experts.



Hariri on Wednesday shelved his decision to resign as prime minister. He made the announcement after returning to Beirut.



At the presidential palace near Beirut, Hariri said he hoped his move would lead to “a responsible dialogue...that deals with divisive issues and their repercussions on Lebanon’s relations with Arab brothers.”



Hariri said all Lebanese sides must commit to keeping the country out of regional conflicts, a reference to the Iran-backed Hezbollah.



“I presented today my resignation to President Aoun and he urged me to wait before offering it and to hold onto it for more dialogue about its reasons and political background, and I showed responsiveness,” he said in a televised statement.



Hariri's decision to put on hold his resignation has silenced the voices alleging that he was abducted and was under house arrest.



This also gives him time to build pressure on the enemies and win clear and frank stances for Lebanon’s interest and eradicate terrorist militias that are controlling the Lebanese people and their fate, according to the experts.



Hariri's decision to postpone the submission of his resignation is not the result of political pressures, but it is in response to international mediation to neutralize Hezbollah from controlling Lebanon with an agenda that serves Iran at the expanse of the Lebanese people.



This will also help in unifying the Lebanese ranks and prevent terrorist organizations from exploiting the vacuum, said the experts, adding that it will give room for communication among all political factions.



This also sends out a clear message to Hezbollah that the government will not allow meddling in its affairs and rejects the militarization of Lebanon.



Hundreds of Hariri supporters packed the streets near his house in central Beirut, waving the blue flag of his Future Movement political party. Hariri told them he would “stay with (them)... to be a line of defense for Lebanon, Lebanon’s stability and Lebanon’s Arabism”.



“His presence in the country alone brings stability,” said Manar Akoum, 26, as she stood with the celebrating crowd.



Ahead of his return to Beirut, Hariri had stressed the importance of the Lebanese state policy of staying out of regional conflicts.



A government minister from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said Lebanon must implement its policy of keeping out of Middle East conflicts in order to get out of its own crisis as well as regional troubles.



“The main problem facing that is the selective implementation of (this) principle and the functional Iranian role of Hezbollah outside the Lebanese framework,” Anwar Gargash, UAE minister of state for foreign affairs, wrote on Twitter.



Hariri took office last year in a power-sharing deal that made Aoun head of state. He arrived in Beirut in time for independence day celebrations on Wednesday morning, taking the premier’s seat alongside Aoun and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. — Agencies