BEIRUT — A war of words between Lebanon’s pro-Western and
Iranian-backed camps has sparked fears of a backlash in the Mediterranean state
over a “cold war” between Shi’a Muslim Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia.

Experts say that with regional tensions on the rise, a protracted political crisis in Lebanon could take yet a turn for the worse as Hariri and Hizbullah trade increasingly harsh accusations.

“This war of words is further evidence that Lebanon’s
internal crisis is intrinsically linked to a regional showdown,” said
Fadia Kiwan, head of the political science department at Saint Joseph
University in Beirut.

She said that as Lebanon enters its fourth month without a
government, the country “will only become increasingly mired in
crises.”

Riyadh, which backs the pro-Western camp led by caretaker
premier Saad Hariri, has accused Iran of rousing anti-monarchy protests in
Bahrain, a majority Shi’a country ruled by a Sunni dynasty.

And Tehran, which along with Syria is a major supporter of
Hizbullah, has slammed back with accusations that Saudi sent its troops into
the tiny kingdom to contain a legitimate popular uprising.

Experts say that with regional tensions on the rise, a
protracted political crisis in Lebanon could take yet a turn for the worse as
Hariri and Hizbullah trade increasingly harsh accusations.

“We have not yet reached the height of the
crisis,” said Imad Salameh, political science professor at the
Lebanese-American University. “We are only at the tip of the
iceberg.”

Saudi-backed Hariri, a U.S. ally, has accused Iran of
meddling in Lebanon’s affairs and taking Arab societies “hostage,”
sparking a harsh rebuke from Hizbullah.

“Lebanon and a number of Arab countries… are
suffering politically, economically and in terms of security from blatant
Iranian interference in the Arab world,” Hariri said on Thursday.

Hizbullah, blacklisted as a terrorist group by Washington,
was quick to respond and in a rare move, Iran also reacted to Hariri’s
accusations, calling them “unfounded” and saying they served
“U.S.-Zionist” interests.

“Hariri’s position… is an open attempt to mask U.S.
interference in the region and the confiscation of the will of the people, who
seek freedom and the end of American hegemony,” a Hizbullah statement
said.

Hariri and Hizbullah have been locked in a standoff for
months over the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which is investigating
the 2005 murder of Hariri’s father Rafiq Hariri.

The tribunal is expected to be preparing to implicate
Hizbullah in the murder, an accusation Hizbullah — which says the tribunal is a
U.S.-Israel conspiracy — has warned against.

Hizbullah toppled Hariri’s unity government on January 12,
as Hariri refused to back down on seeing the investigation through.

Sunni billionaire businessman Najib Mikati was appointed on
January 25 to form a new government with Hizbullah’s blessing, but the cabinet
has yet to see the light of day.

“This is the first time Saad Hariri has taken a clear,
tough position vis-a-vis Iran, given that the current threat did not exist
before,” said Hariri adviser Ghattas Khoury.

Amal Saad-Ghorayeb, author of the book “Hizbullah:
Politics and Religion,” says the rising tension between Hariri and
Hizbullah reflects a wider political polarization.

Bahrain expelled 16 Lebanese, including 14 Shi’a, over
“security concerns” days after Bahrain accused Hizbullah of inciting
anti-monarchy protesters.

While Hizbullah has made clear it supports Shi’a
demonstrators in Bahrain, “Saad Hariri’s remarks clearly fall in line with
Arab discourse — and even U.S. rhetoric,” Saad-Ghorayeb, a researcher with
the Qatar-based Doha Institute, said.

The Hariri camp has accused Hizbullah, the most powerful
armed movement in Lebanon, of being “mercenaries of the Iranian president
who aim to destabilize the situation.”

Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was dismissive in
his response.

“The fact that a prime minister talks like that is a
mistake,” he said in a televised address. “This is the language used
by Israel.”