MP Walid Jumblatt's Progressive Socialist Party demanded that the head of the Popular Bloc MP Elie Skaff provide evidence that he did not sell land to Iran. "It is a rare, even abnormal, condition for a country to invade the property of another state in order to carry out its expanded projects," said PSP spokesman Rami Rayess in a statement published by the daily An Nahar on Sunday.Jumblatt had accused Skaff of selling 600,000 square meters (150 acres) of real estate to Iran's ambassador to Lebanon Mohammad-Reza Sheybani. The PSP statement claimed that MP Hassan Yaqoub, a member in the Popular Bloc as well as Skaff's son "are fully aware of the deal that was cut with Iran's ambassador to Damascus Mohammed Hasan Akhtari."
It said Akhtari "seems to be closely operating Hezbollah projects in Lebanon" and accused him of "pursuing details of the Hezbollah project which aims at creating a state within the state. Purchase of land and the introduction of demographic changes are key establishments of this state."
Referring to a request by Skaff that Jumblatt provides evidence that he sold "vast areas of land," Rayess said: "Quite the opposite, it's MP Skaff who is required to prove that he did not sell these properties."