2024-03-21 10:41:46
What is behind the visit of a prominent Lebanese Hezbollah official to the Emirates?
Speaking to Reuters, four sources close to the Lebanese Hezbollah said that Wafiq Safa, a senior official in the party, made a historic visit to the UAE to facilitate the release of more than ten Lebanese citizens detained there.
Reuters quoted analysts as saying that the visit, which came at the invitation of the UAE, may indicate a major shift in the relationship that has witnessed a lot of hostility for a long time.
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet responded to Reuters’ requests for comment.
One source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described Wafiq Safa’s visit as a “new page” in relations between the UAE and Hezbollah, which the United States and its Gulf allies classify as a terrorist group.
The sources said that Safa traveled to the Emirates the day before yesterday, Tuesday. He runs Hezbollah’s liaison and coordination unit, which is responsible for coordination with the Lebanese security services, and is subject to US sanctions.
The four informed sources stated that the UAE had contacted Hezbollah with a message stating that they were seeking the release of Lebanese detainees, a number of whom were serving life sentences.
The sources stated that the detainees were arrested on charges including providing support and funding to the party, and the sources described the charges as politically motivated.
The four sources added that the detainees will be released in the coming days, and will accompany Safa on the return trip to Lebanon.
Two sources said that the UAE asked the head of the Syrian regime, Bashar al-Assad, an ally of Hezbollah, to deliver the message before the outbreak of the Gaza war.
A source said that the visit indicates efforts to ease “some regional tensions,” without going into details.
The UAE’s foreign policy moves in the past few years have included restoring relations with Assad, after previously supporting the Syrian revolution that broke out against him, and normalizing relations with Israel in 2020.
The UAE began reconnecting with Tehran in 2019, and Saudi Arabia restored its relations with Iran last year.
The tension between Hezbollah and the UAE reflects a broader rivalry between Iran and the Sunni Gulf states, which has fueled conflicts including the wars in Syria and Yemen.
The six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council classified Hezbollah as a terrorist group in 2016. The Council imposed sanctions on it in 2013 for its participation in the Syrian war on behalf of Assad.
At the height of regional tension in 2019, following a drone attack on Saudi oil facilities, Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah called on the UAE and Saudi Arabia to stop the conflict in Yemen to protect their security.
The UAE has led Arab movements to restore relations with Assad over the past few years. The Syrian regime returned to the Arab League last year, after suspending its membership for more than a decade.
(Reuters)
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