Berri and Ghalibaf call for immediate Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri held a phone call with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Tuesday to discuss developments in Lebanon and the region, as well as the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), according to a statement from Berri's office cited by Xinhua.

During the call, both officials stressed the need to compel Israel to end its military activity in Lebanon and immediately withdraw from occupied Lebanese territory. The statement also highlighted the importance of a permanent ceasefire, the deployment of the Lebanese army along the border, the return of Lebanese detainees, and the launch of reconstruction efforts.

Separately, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met on Tuesday to discuss the US-Iran MoU and preparations for the next round of Lebanon-US-Israel negotiations scheduled to take place in Washington next week. A presidency statement reiterated calls for a permanent ceasefire, Israeli withdrawal, army deployment, detainee return, and reconstruction.

The US-Iran MoU, finalized on Sunday, is expected to also end fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, according to the Xinhua report. The agreement marks a significant diplomatic effort to stabilize the region.