Syrian official says Damascus won't allow targeting of Hezbollah

Syria's presidential political adviser, Bouthaina Shaaban, said on Tuesday that her country will not allow the targeting of the Lebanese Hezbollah group, Damascus key ally in the war on the ultra-radical rebel groups.

In an interview with al-Mayadeen TV, Shaaban said Damascus will not allow unilateral targeting of Hezbollah because "we share the same fate."

Her comments came against the backdrop of the escalation by the Saudi Arabia and the resigning Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who said in his resignation speech from Riyadh that the Iranian hands in the region will be cut off, referring to Hezbollah.

Also, Saudi Gulf affairs minister Thamer al-Sabhan said the Lebanese government would "be dealt with as a government declaring war on Saudi Arabia" because of what he described as aggression by Hezbollah.

In her interview, Shabaan said the "Saudi intimidation is similar to the Israeli one, and Saudi Arabia will not be able to destabilize Lebanon."

The Syrian official stressed that the security of both Lebanon and Syria is mutual, considering the declared resignation of Hariri from Saudi Arabia is "inappropriate."

She also pointed out to the cooperation between Syria, Iran, and Hezbollah, saying such cooperation is important for all sides.

For his part, President Bashar al-Assad said Tuesday that the escalation in the stances against Iran and Hezbollah is the result of the defeat of foreign-backed terror groups in Syria.

The Syrian government has for long accused Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states of supporting the terror-designated groups in Syria.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)