Hariri victory in Lebanon is a setback for Iran

The Spanish daily La Vanguardia comments on the results of the parliamentary elections in Lebanon: "The victory of the pro-Western March 14 Alliance led by Saad Hariri in Lebanon's elections last weekend was a relief for the US and its strongest allies in the Middle East, like Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Israel. The opposite outcome, a victory for the opposition alliance formed by Hizbollah and the parties it is close to, supported by Iran and Syria, would have destroyed the fragile balance in the region. The highest leader of Iran, the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, attached a lot of importance to the elections. … The first words [of election winner Hariri] were that there was neither a winner nor a loser because only Lebanon and democracy had won. Only time will tell whether this is true for this small and complex country which plays a key role in the mosaic of interests in the Middle East."

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