By khazen.org: In response to Hezbollah speech, where is Hezbollah about their intervention in all of the gulf countries and neutrality policy?  Instead of blasting the Lebanese, giving lessons and imposing an Iranian State in Lebanon, Hezbollah should start respecting the Lebanese constitutions.

by Lorientlejour -- BEIRUT – Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah Tuesday criticized Lebanon’s formal stance on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which demanded a stop to the war, saying “we should have told the United States we don’t want to be your slaves.”

Here’s what we know:

• The Lebanese Foreign Ministry had said in a statement the day the Russian invasion began that it condemns the “invasion of Ukraine” and “calls on Russia to immediately stop military operations.”

By Najia Houssari -- arabnews.com -- BEIRUT: A scuffle broke out on Monday at the Beirut International and Arab Book Fair taking place at the Seaside Arena after activists demanded that the displayed pictures of Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani be taken down. The activists, among whom were Shafiq Badr and Nelly Qandil, were severely beaten up after chanting “Beirut Free, Iran Out!” Soleimani’s huge picture was displayed at one of the book fair’s pavilion that kicked off last Thursday, angered social media activists and mocked the exhibition as the “Tehran Book Fair.” A squad from the Internal Security Forces Intelligence Branch later arrived on the scene and launched investigations as a number of other activists arrived in solidarity. Badr is part of the “Lebanon Rises Up” group, while Qandil is part of the “Lebanese sovereign opposition” group.

The book fair, organized by the Arab Cultural Club, was launched in its 63rd session under the slogan “Beirut cannot be broken” after a three-year forced hiatus due to the economic crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Beirut port’s explosion. Traditionally, the exhibition takes place in January each year, which has confused some participating publishing houses. Ninety Lebanese publishing houses - from Syria and Egypt and 10 from Iran - are taking part in the exhibition.

By Hans Nichols -- axios.com -- President Biden’s advisers are discussing a possible visit to Saudi Arabia this spring to help repair relations and convince the Kingdom to pump more oil, Axios has learned. Why it matters: A hat-in-hand trip would illustrate the gravity of the global energy crisis driven by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Biden has chastised Saudi Arabia, and the CIA believes its de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was involved in the dismemberment of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. The possibility also shows how Russia's invasion is scrambling world's alliances, forcing the U.S. to reorder its priorities — and potentially recalibrating its emphasis on human rights. Biden officials are in Venezuela this weekend to meet with the government of President Nicolás Maduro. Some Republicans and Democrats in Washington suggest Venezuela's oil could replace Russia's, according to the New York Times.

Any visit to the Persian Gulf would come amid a busy presidential travel schedule during the next few months. Biden will likely take trips to Japan, Spain, Germany and, potentially, Israel, Axios has also learned. What they're saying: A White House spokesperson told Axios: “We don’t have any international travel to announce at this time, and a lot of this is premature speculation.” Zoom out: President Obama visited Saudi Arabia more often than any of his predecessors, a total of four trips, but relations frayed over the wars in Yemen and Syria, as well as differences about how to deal with Iran.

By Fran Beyer -- newsmax.com -- Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., on Sunday said declaring a no-fly zone over embattled Ukraine “means World War III.” In an interview on ABC News’ “This Week,” Rubio said he’s “generally supportive” of providing fighter jets to Ukraine as it pushes back at Russia’s invasion. “A no-fly zone means World War III,” he said. “I think there are a lot of things we can do to help Ukraine protect itself both from air strikes and missile strikes. People need to understand what a no-fly zone means. It's not a rule you pass that everybody has to oblige by. It's the willingness to shoot down the aircrafts of Russia which is the beginning of World War III.”

According to Rubio, President Joe Biden is right to refuse a ban on Russian oil imports — and said the United States has to produce more American oil and buy less “or none at all” of Russia’s oil. “I think that's something you can construct a plan to phase that in rapidly,” he asserted. “You could use reserves to buffer that. We have more than enough ability in this country to produce enough oil to make up for the percentage we buy from Russia.” Rubio declared the idea that banning Russian oil would raise prices on American consumers “is an admission that this guy, this killer, this butcher Vladimir Putin has leverage over us.” “Why would we want someone like him to have the power to raise gas prices on Americans?” he said. “I think we have enough of [U.S. oil].”