Jumblat Decries Attempt to 'Besiege' Him by Hizbullah, Allies

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat said that the Axis of Defiance wants to "besiege" him.

"It's ok," he added, telling Nidaa al-Watan newspaper, in remarks published Monday, that Hizbullah wants to impose itself on the entire country and on all sects.

"If he could, Hizbullah wouldn't hesitate to benefit from achieving gains in the Druze arena," Jumblat explained.

He went on to say that the Axis of Defiance wants to downsize his political influence and that Hizbullah is "obviously" taking part in executing "an order" that had been given to "besiege" him.

"Lebanon had always been a culturally diverse country, even when it was under the Ottoman control," Jumblat said, criticizing Iran's influence. "It was even easier in the Syrian era, as Syrians controlled the key security and military decisions but did not eradicate the country."

"We no longer understand what Iran wants," Jumblat said, adding that "nothing will change in Lebanon without sovereignty."

Jumblat also slammed Free Patriotic Movement head Jebran Bassil and decried the "cost" of the FPM-Hizbullah's alliance. "It has cost us and will cost us a lot, politically and economically.”

"Bassil is everywhere," he said. "He is blackmailing Hizbullah, interfering in the presidential elections' fate and in the maritime border demarcation with Israel.”

On another note, the PSP head considered that no one can replace ex-Prime Minister Saad Hariri. "We have lost a great ally," he said.