Lebanon’s Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi ordered the country’s General Security to deport members of Bahrain’s Shia Wefaq opposition party after they held a conference that sparked the ire of Manama, state-run media reported Wednesday.
The order was sent in a letter from Mawlawi to General Security to deport the non-Lebanese members of the party, Lebanon’s National News Agency said.
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Mawlawi’s move came as a result of the press conference held in Beirut on Dec. 12, 2021, which “harms relations between Lebanon and the Kingdom of Bahrain and [negatively] impacts Lebanon’s national interests.”
Last week, Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry denounced Lebanon for hosting a press conference for individuals it described as “hostile personnel” on terror lists with the purpose of “broadcasting and promoting abusive and malicious allegations against the Kingdom of Bahrain.”
Mawlawi held a call with his Bahraini counterpart on Wednesday.
The latest incident also comes after Bahrain, and a number of other Gulf states asked Lebanese diplomats to leave, against the backdrop of a series of statements and stances issued by Lebanese officials.
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