Political crisis over abusive remarks by Lebanon's Kordahy

Remarks made by Lebanese Minister George Kordahi over a Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen have triggered an outcry in the Gulf countries. His offensive comments sparked diplomatic protests from several Gulf countries including the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Speaking to an online show affiliated with Qatar's Al Jazeera network, Kordahi called the war futile and said Yemen was subjected to an aggression and that its Iran-aligned Houthis were defending themselves.

Although the Huthi militia has fired dozens of rockets into Saudi territory this year, rejecting the meaningful roadmap proposed by the Saudi-led coalition, Kordahi sees the attacks as self defense.

With the flow of weapons from Iran to the Huthis and the prevention of humanitarian assistance and supplies to affected areas due to Huthi restrictions, analysts argued that there is little reason to believe Huthis are only defending themselves.

The comments by George Kordahi in an interview he said was recorded on Aug. 5 have, since it began circulating on social media on Tuesday, further strained Lebanon's already difficult ties with Gulf Arab states.

Seeking to avert diplomatic fallout, Prime Minister Najib Mikati said the interview was recorded more than a month before his cabinet was formed and reflected a personal opinion that had nothing to do with the government.

The Gulf Cooperation Council's secretary general earlier said Kordahi’s comments reflected little understanding and a superficial reading of events.

Al Houthis plunged Yemen into a devastating war after they toppled the country’s internationally recognized government and overran parts of the impoverished country, including the capital Sana’a.