A former prime minister of Lebanon, Saad Hariri, has suggested his Future Movement may run in the forthcoming parliamentary elections, four years after he withdrew himself and the party from front-line politics.
However, Mr Hariri, who remains one of Lebanon's best-known politicians and most influential figures in the Sunni community, did not reveal if he would return and run for parliament.
“When the legislative elections take place, they will hear our votes and count our votes,” Mr Hariri said in a speech in Beirut marking the 21st anniversary of the assassination of his father Rafic, who was also Lebanese prime minister.
“You're not a few and you never were,” Mr Hariri told jubilant supporters surrounded by heavy security on Saturday.
Mr Hariri has avoided the spotlight since stepping back from politics. His annual speech made from his father's tomb – to thousands of supporters who come to Beirut from across Lebanon – is typically the only public indication of his thinking.
Lebanese parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri has insisted election will be held as scheduled on May 10. But uncertainty remains over whether this date will be met; partly because of the unstable security in southern Lebanon and also due to disagreements over how the polls should be conducted.
The political leadership of the Sunni community within parliament has now splintered among various groups.
In Lebanon's confessional system, the prime minister is reserved for a Sunni Muslim. Incumbent Nawaf Salam has won praise for his reformist agenda and efforts to contain Hezbollah's weapons, but is regarded as outside the traditional political system and is not affiliated with any party.
The UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon, set up to investigate the murder of Rafic Hariri, has previously convicted Hezbollah members of involvement in his assassination. Hezbollah has rejected the legitimacy and findings of the tribunal.
Mr Hariri jnr, a three-time prime minister, stepped back from politics in January 2022 and withdrew the Future Movement from running in a parliamentary vote that year, citing reasons such as Iranian influence in the country, in a reference to the Lebanese Shiite armed group and political party Hezbollah.
Some Future Movement figures obeyed the order, while others ran independently. The party continues to be active at grass-roots level in Lebanon, led by Saad's cousin Ahmad Hariri, the party's general secretary. Saad Hariri remains party chairman.
The current situation differs vastly from 2022. Hezbollah was severely weakened by its most recent war with Israel, which was brought to an end by a ceasefire deal in November 2024. Israel continues to bomb Lebanon daily and its troops occupy at least five points of vital Lebanese territory. Meanwhile, Hezbollah is under intense pressure from the US and Israel to disarm.
Israel has killed more than 100 civilians in Lebanon since the truce began in November 2024, the UN says.
