Qatar talks with Hizbollah will antagonise Saudis

As Saudi Arabia throws more weight behind the Lebanese army (see page 3), Qatar – not known for its deference to Riyadh – has been working to mend its relationship with Hizbollah. Doha and Hizbollah seemed to have fallen out over the crisis in Syria, but contact was re-established in early December, when Qatar sent an envoy to Hizbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. In a television interview with Lebanese channel OTV on 3 December, Nasrallah confirmed the meeting had taken place and that, despite ongoing disagreements, Qatar and Hizbollah were in touch. “There is talk between us… there was a line between us and Qatar which was re-opened [recently] but up to a certain limit,” Nasrallah said.