Bahrain tells citizens: Leave Lebanon

Bahrain has ordered its citizens in Lebanon to “leave immediately” after the country’s prime minister resigned in a sudden televised address.

Saad Hariri threw Lebanese politics into turmoil with his surprise resignation on Saturday, citing Iranian meddling in Lebanese and regional affairs.

Bahrain’s foreign minis- try said citizens were banned from traveling to Lebanon.

Bahrain is a bellwether nation for the Saudi Arabiadominated Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) and often the first to announce sanctions and travel bans, usually targeting countries seen as close to Iran.

GCC member states banned travel to Lebanon last year after Lebanon’s foreign minister refused to condemn mob attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran.

Mr Hariri, who became prime minister last year, delivered his resignation in a televised address from Saudi Arabia, leading his supporters and detractors in Lebanon to speculate that he had received orders to step down from Saudi Arabia, which is widely seen as his patron.

He is not believed to have returned to Lebanon.