Berri denounces Lebanon's direct talks with Israel in Washington

The speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, Nabih Berri, has strongly denounced direct talks held between a Lebanese government delegation and Israeli officials in Washington.

In an interview with Al-Akhbar newspaper, Berri expressed deep astonishment that the delegation, which was supposed to be seeking a ceasefire, instead returned with measures that fuel aggression against the Hezbollah resistance movement.

“They went to the United States to bring peace, but they came back carrying the tools of war against Hezbollah,” Berri stated.

Berri’s remarks came in response to a joint statement issued after a meeting between the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors in Washington.

He firmly rejected any direct negotiations with the Israeli regime, stressing that the real priority must be preserving the ceasefire, strengthening national unity, and preventing any attempts to sow internal division and strife in Lebanon.

The parliament speaker openly voiced his displeasure with the actions of the Lebanese president and prime minister, which he sees as targeting Hezbollah and dragging Lebanon into dangerous direct talks with the occupying regime.

Berri warned that abandoning broader regional negotiations and rushing into bilateral talks without strong leverage would significantly weaken Lebanon’s position.

He also revealed that, prior to the announcement of the ceasefire between Iran and the United States, he had coordinated closely with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Tehran made it clear it would not accept any ceasefire agreement that did not fully include Lebanon.

When announcing the ceasefire, US President Donald Trump acknowledged that a 10-point proposal submitted by the Islamic Republic of Iran provided “a workable basis on which to negotiate.”

Senior Iranian officials have repeatedly emphasized that any ceasefire between the US and Iran must encompass Lebanon and protect the resistance axis.

As the government weighed its steps after direct talks with Israel, Hezbollah’s resistance fighters continued their legitimate retaliatory operations on Thursday, striking Israeli military bases and troop concentrations.

In the latest attacks along the southern border with the occupied territories, they destroyed at least three Israeli Merkava tanks.

Hezbollah also targeted several military positions and soldier gatherings deep inside occupied Palestine.

The operations are a direct response to Israel’s repeated and flagrant violations of the November 2024 ceasefire, including daily bombings of southern and eastern Lebanon.

In recent days, hundreds of Lebanese civilians have been martyred in intensified Israeli aggression on Beirut and other regions across the country.

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