Bahrain asks citizens in Lebanon to leave, not to travel there 'permanently' as rift grows

The Kingdom of Bahrain, on Tuesday, urged its citizens in Lebanon to leave immediately as a diplomatic crisis between the Gulf States and Beirut escalates. In a statement, Bahraini Foreign Minister Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani called upon all citizens to immediately evacuate “due to the tense situation there, which requires caution”. In addition, the ministry also advised Bahrainis to refrain from travelling to Lebanon permanently in order to “prevent exposure to any risk”, as per the Associated Press. 

Tensions between Arab league nations and Lebanon soared earlier this month after the country’s entertainer-turned lawmaker- George Kurdahi said that the Yemen war was “absurd”. Not only did he downplay a civil war that has led to more than casualties, he also showed support to Iran back Houthis rebels. As reported by the Associated Press, the lawmaker said that militias had attacked no one and had the complete right to defend themselves. His remarks came while answering questions during a mock parliament held last week.

'Offensive remarks'

The statement sparked an immediate reaction from Saudi Arabia which is an active participant in the Yemen war. Blasting the remarks, Saudi officials said that it was not only “offensive” but also favoured Houthis. Additionally, Riyadh also called back its ambassador from the country and imposed an embargo on all Lebanese imports.

Riyadh’s move had a reverberating effect in the Persian Gulf with the UAE, Kuwait and more recently Bahrain withdrawing their envoys from Beirut. While other Arab league states have not announced any economic sanctions, experts and observers warn that it could be possible. Notably, the Persian Gulf is the most significant trade partner for cash strapped Lebanon and any kind of economic restrictions could plunge its economy furthermore.   

Lebanon, at present, is battling multiple crises - a constant war with Israel, new coronavirus variants, political instability, and debt crisis -- all while trying to revive itself from the horrendous explosion that jolted Beirut in August last year. The current economic crisis in the country has thrown more people into poverty as tens of thousands have lost their jobs since anti-government protests first erupted in late 2019. As per the World Bank, the country’s economy contracted 19 per cent in 2020 and is expected to shrink again this year.

(Image: AP)

(With inputs from AP)