Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri will fly to Paris “in the coming days,” a spokeswoman for the French presidency said Wednesday, after days of speculation that Hariri was being held against his will in Saudi Arabia.
The Elysee Palace’s statement came shortly after it said French President Emmanuel Macron invited Hariri to France after a conversation between Macron, Hariri and Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The announcement is one of the latest developments following Hariri’s resignation in mysterious circumstances earlier this month while he was visiting Saudi Arabia.
Hariri announced he was quitting his post in a televised address from the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on November 4, saying his life was in danger. He has not been back to Lebanon since, fueling speculation he was being held in Saudi Arabia against his will.
Earlier Wednesday, Lebanese President Michel Aoun alleged Hariri was being “held captive” in Saudi Arabia, and that Lebanon couldn’t make any decision about Hariri’s resignation until he returned.
“What happened wasn’t the resignation of a government, but an act of aggression against Lebanon, its independence and dignity, and against relations between Saudi Arabia and Lebanon,” Aoun said Wednesday, according to a statement released his office.
“Nothing justifies Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s not returning to the country in 12 days. We therefore consider him detained and held captive, which violates the Vienna Convention and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” Aoun said.
Shortly after Aoun’s remarks, Hariri tweeted that he was “very, very well” and that he would return to Lebanon soon.
“I want to reiterate that I am very, very well and I will return if God wills it to the beloved Lebanon just as I promised. You’ll see,” Hariri tweeted.
A day earlier, Hariri tweeted that he hoped to return “in the next two days.”
Lebanon and the Saudi-Iran rivalry
Hariri’s resignation comes against the backdrop of a rivalry between two Middle Eastern powers that hold influence in Lebanon: Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia and Shia-led Iran.
Hariri, a Saudi-backed Sunni, did not explicitly say during his resignation announcement who he thought was plotting to kill him, but – reading from notes – he denounced Iran for meddling in the affairs of Lebanon and several other Arab states.
He also pointed to Hezbollah, the powerful Iranian-backed Shia militant group, whose political wing is the most powerful bloc in Lebanon’s fractured coalition government.
His announcement plunged Lebanon into a political crisis and stoked fears of conflict between the Saudi-backed faction of the country’s government and Hezbollah.
Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, lambasted Saudi Arabia last week, accusing it of interfering in Lebanese politics and repeating accusations that Saudi officials had detained Hariri and put him under house arrest.
Saudi Arabia has denied forcing Hariri to resign or placing him under house arrest. Hariri holds dual Lebanese-Saudi citizenship and has a residence in Riyadh.
A high-level ministerial source told CNN last week 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.
So far Lebanon’s rival political factions have called for calm, and made public statements asking for Hariri’s return.
Since he quit, Hariri has held several meetings with senior European and Arab officials including Abu Dhabi’s crown prince, but there have been no public statements about them.
He also gave a tense and tearful interview on Sunday to his own television station, Future TV, which analysts say sowed further doubt among viewers about his circumstances.
France’s input
Five days after Hariri resigned, Macron, the French President, made an unscheduled trip to Riyadh to meet with Saudi officials. Shortly after, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said the Saudis invited Macron, and that France believed Hariri had freedom of movement.
France called Tuesday for Hariri to be allowed to go home and urged all sides to ratchet down tensions.
In an address to the French National Assembly, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said: “The goal is for Saad Hariri to be able to return home freely to clarify his situation in accordance with the Lebanese constitution. It’s also important that all Lebanese parties agree to respect civil peace.”
CNN’s Hamdi Alkhshali contributed to this report.