Egypt Asks Lebanon for Clarification over Foreign Minister's Offensive Statements

On Thursday, Egyptian authorities demanded an explanation and a clarification from the Lebanese ambassador to Cairo regarding "derogatory and offensive statements" made by caretaker Lebanese Foreign Minister, Charbel Wehbe, against the Arab Gulf states, according to an official statement released by Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Facebook.

In a television interview with the Hurra TV channel on Monday, the Lebanese Foreign Minister claimed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states have repeatedly provided support for acts of the Islamic State's terrorism and also blamed them for the rise of ISIS in Iraq and neighboring Syria.

In response to this issue, KSA summoned the Lebanese ambassador to Riyadh on Tuesday in light of  Wehbe's remarks. Furthermore, the Kingdom strongly condemned in a statement Wehbe for what it deemed as "insulting" remarks and lack of "consistency" with the simplest diplomatic norms, according to international reports.

Meanwhile, the Arab League (AL) Secretary-General and former Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmed Abul Gheit described the Lebanese top diplomat's remarks as "not appropriate diplomatically."