Hezbollah's criticism of Saudi not in Lebanon's interest - PM

FILE PHOTO: Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati gestures during a news conference on the latest developments in the country, at the government palace in Beirut, Lebanon December 28, 2021. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir/File Photo

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati Monday said criticism of Saudi Arabia by the leader of Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group did not serve the national interest or represent the country's official stance.

Saudi Arabia and a number of other Gulf Arab states withdrew ambassadors and expelled Lebanese envoys in October and November over what the kingdom later said was arch-foe Hezbollah's dominance of the Lebanese state.