Regional newspapers are all looking at the current conflict between Saudi Arabia and Syria.

Gulf News from Dubai, running an Associated Press story, notes that the Syrian Vice President, Farouk Al-Shara’a, says he was misquoted, taken out of context: Syria denies Al Shara’a criticised Saudi Arabia

The Lebanese Daily Star has a couple of pieces expressing outrage over the Syrian comments. One is from a former Syrian Vice President, Abdul-Halim Khaddam, now in exile and in opposition: Khaddam slams Syria over row with Saudi Arabia.

Another reports the call by the Mufti of the Mount Lebanon region for the Saudis to stop funding those Lebanese who support Syria: Mufti calls on Riyadh to halt aid to South, Dahiyeh.

The Lebanese Al-Hayat also pipes up, with Jamil Al-Theyabi’s column: Al-Shara’s Slip of the Tongue and the Saudi Outrage?. He thinks the Saudis may have reacted too quickly, but also that the Syrians were being more than provocative.

The Saudi Asharq Alawsat runs an editorial by its Editor in Chief, Tariq Alhomayed: Damascus…Roaring or Moaning?. In it, he says that Syria is behaving in an act of desperation at its isolation from the rest of the Arab world. By becoming a tool of the Iranian government, Syria has no option but to attack the Kingdom.

There’s no question that Al-Shara’a insulted the Saudis deeply. It will be interesting to see if he finds a way to back down or whether this will lead to escalation of problems not only in Lebanon, but in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as well.