LEBANON’S president openly accused Saudi Arabia of holding his prime minister captive yesterday in an act of “aggression.”

In the latest escalation in the crisis between the two Arab nations, President Michel Aoun said nothing could justify PM Saad Hariri’s failure to return from Riyadh.

“We consider him detained, arrested,” in violation of international law, Mr Aoun tweeted.

The president had previously shied away from accusing Riyadh of keeping Mr Hariri and his family against their will after he flew there to broadcast his pre-recorded resignation on Saudi TV on November 4.

Speaking to media executives later, Mr Aoun said Mr Hariri’s absence was a “hostile act against Lebanon."

On Tuesday Mr Hariri pledged to return within two days, but said his family would remain in their Saudi “home.”

Shortly after Mr Aoun’s comments yesterday, the PM tweeted back that he was fine and will return to Lebanon as promised.

Mr Hariri did not give a date for his return, but Future TV, the broadcaster of his Future Party, said he was expected back by Sunday.

Meanwhile Foreign Minister Gibran Bassil was in Paris on the second leg of his European tour to drum up support.

He said Lebanon wanted to resolve Mr Hariri’s “ambiguous” condition with Saudi Arabia in a “brotherly” fashion.

And Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was the latest to accuse the Saudis of forcing Mr Hariri’s resignation and hinted the kingdom was “begging” Israel to bomb Lebanon.