Beirut, Lebanon (CNN) When Saad Hariri gave an interview to a TV station he owns from his home in Riyadh on Sunday, the aim was to put to rest the widespread belief that he is being held against his will in the Saudi capital after quitting as Lebanese Prime Minister last week.

But the plan backfired spectacularly. Analysts say viewers appeared to pay less attention to what Hariri said than how he said it, and the uncomfortable interview seemed to reinforce claims that his shock resignation was ordered by the Saudis.

Last week, a high level ministerial source told CNN that Hariri's closest allies "have no idea what's going on," and that members of his own political party believe Saudi Arabia is "restricting" his movements.

Lebanese watch an interview with Lebanon's resigned prime minister Saad Hariri at a coffee shop in Beirut on November 12, 2017.

That view that has been propagated from the uppermost echelons of Lebanon's government, including President Michel Aoun, who said Hariri was operating against "his own free will." Aoun warned that Hariri's remarks during the interview would sow "doubt and confusion, and we cannot take it as true or to consider them stances made by Hariri's own free will."

As a result, multiple local news channels, including Lebanese state TV, refused to rebroadcast the interview on Sunday night. Some who were able to tune in barely recognized their Prime Minister.

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