Iran vows support for Lebanon as US pushes for cease-fire

Associated Press Beirut: A top Iranian official pledged his country's unwavering support for Lebanon after talks Friday with Lebanese leaders on the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah, which came as the United States continued actively pushing both sides to agree to a new cease-fire deal. Ali Larijani, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei, said he hoped circumstances would soon improve in Lebanon so that displaced people could return home.

“The main aim of our visit is to loudly say that we will stand by Lebanon's government and people,” Larijani told reporters after separate meetings with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati. The US has been trying to broker an end to the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, which came as the 13-month war with Hamas broadened in September into southern and eastern Lebanon as well as Beirut's southern suburbs. Both Hezbollah and Hamas are backed by Iran, and Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel the day after Hamas' surprise attack into Israel on Oct 7, 2023 ignited the war in Gaza.

According to reports in Lebanese media, US Ambassador Lisa Johnson has handed over a draft of a proposed deal to end the Israel-Hezbollah war to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who has been leading the talks representing Hezbollah. A Lebanese official confirmed Friday that Johnson visited Berri but refused to say whether a draft was handed over.