Bahrain urges citizens to leave Lebanon ‘immediately’

ISTANBUL

Bahrain on Tuesday urged its citizens to leave Lebanon "immediately” amid a diplomatic crisis over criticism of the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen.

"We call on all citizens present in the Lebanese Republic to leave immediately, given the tense situation there,” the Bahraini Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The call came a few days after Bahrain recalled its ambassador from Lebanon in response to Lebanese Information Minister George Kordahi’s criticism of the Saudi military role in Yemen.

The ministry reiterated its previous warning against travelling to Lebanon "in order to prevent citizens from being exposed to any risks and to ensure their safety."

A similar move was taken by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Sunday, which called on its nationals to leave Lebanon "as soon as possible."

Kordahi has been under fire from Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies over his critical comments of the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen in a televised interview said to have been recorded before he took his post in the new Cabinet headed by Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

On Saturday, three former Lebanese prime ministers called on Kordahi to resign to help resolve the diplomatic crisis with the Gulf nations.

Yemen has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014, when Iranian-aligned Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including the capital Sanaa. A Saudi-led coalition aimed at reinstating the Yemeni government has worsened the situation and caused one of the world’s worst man-made humanitarian crises.

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat