Reports: Aoun and Berri warn Hezbollah over US paper as Arabs talk to Iran
The ongoing Arab contacts for finalizing Lebanon's response to the U.S. paper intensified over the past hours and involved Iran, a diplomatic source told Al-Jadeed TV on Saturday.
Al-Arabiya's Al-Hadath channel earlier reported that the Lebanese Presidency "sent a warning to Hezbollah in the morning on the need to send a response to (U.S. envoy Tom) Barrack's ideas."
Speaker Nabih Berri for his part told Hezbollah that if it did not respond, Lebanese leaders, including him, would answer the U.S. without Hezbollah's input on the matter, Al-Hadath added.
Aoun, Berri and PM Nawaf Salam "agree that the era of arms outside the state is over," the TV network quoted sources as saying.
The three leaders "agreed not to allow any side to drag Lebanon into destruction," the sources added.
Al-Jadeed later reported that Aoun, Berri and Salam would meet at the Baabda Palace later Saturday to "put the final touches on the response to Barrack's proposal."
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