Lebanon Speaker Berri Slams US Deal as 'Diktat'

Lebanon's Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has strongly criticized the US-brokered agreement, calling it a 'diktat' and warning that it threatens the unity of Lebanon and its people. In an interview with the El-Akhbar newspaper, Berri described the Washington accord as 'ten times worse' than the May 17, 1983 agreement, a failed deal that was abandoned under Syrian and domestic pressure during Lebanon's civil war.

Berri stated, 'This agreement is not an agreement to preserve Lebanon's rights, but a set of dictations.' He added, 'When I call this agreement "sedition", that is the highest level of political warning.' The speaker emphasized that the deal endangers Lebanon's unity and its people.

According to Berri, the only real opportunity for Lebanon to recover its rights and compel Israel to fully withdraw lies in the negotiations between Iran and the United States. 'This track is the only framework that can create balances forcing the occupiers to implement their commitments,' he said.

Berri warned that any attempt to separate Lebanon's file from this track, or to pursue individual negotiations with Israel on American and Israeli terms, would only prolong the occupation and allow the enemy to impose new realities on the ground without any real guarantees for Lebanon.

According to Mehr News, Berri's remarks highlight the deep concerns within Lebanon over the terms of the US-brokered agreement and its potential impact on the country's sovereignty and stability.