BEIRUT — The leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah group on Friday called on Saudi Arabia to “open a new page” after years of tension and animosity, saying that the weapons of the Iran-backed group are directed toward Israel and not the oil-rich kingdom.

Naim Kassem’s comments came in the wake of rising regional tensions following this month’s Israeli strike on energy-rich Qatar, a neighbor of Saudi Arabia. The Sept. 2 strike hit the headquarters of Hamas’ political leadership killing six people.

It was not immediately clear how Saudi Arabia, which lists Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, would respond to Kassem’s proposal.

The tension between Saudi Arabia and Hezbollah is part of the yearslong struggle between the kingdom and Iran, the main backer of the Lebanese militant group — a rivalry

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