Berri vows tough opposition to framework deal, urges Salam to pull out

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has warned that he and a large parliamentary bloc will strongly oppose a framework accord recently signed between Lebanon and Israel.

"They have entangled themselves in a major ordeal. If they believe this agreement will pass through constitutional institutions, they do not realize they will be facing Nabih Berri and a large parliamentary bloc. In the past, they faced Najah Wakim and Zaher al-Khatib, but today they will face me alongside a very large number of MPs," Berri was quoted as saying by visitors, in a report published Tuesday in the pro-Hezbollah al-Akhbar newspaper.

According to the daily, Berri advised Prime Minister Nawaf Salam to "back out of the agreement" when the latter called to thank him for calming the public and preventing people from taking to the streets.

Salam reportedly told Berri he is flexible, to which Berri replied: "Then back out of this agreement."

Berri warned again against internal strife, accusing "those who drafted the agreement of wanting to ignite discord." "I do not want strife, and I am applying pressure to prevent an explosion," he was quoted as saying, adding that even Hezbollah is seeking calm. "But they insist on moving forward with an agreement that is worse than the May 17 Agreement... They want strife."

According to Berri, the agreement aims to obstruct the U.S.-Iran deal, which he noted has entered a difficult phase amid disagreements between the U.S. and Israel, as well as within the U.S. administration between Marco Rubio and JD Vance. "I fear the region might pay the price for internal American friction, as well as American-Israeli friction," he warned.

Berri also cautioned against any moves targeting the military or its leadership. "If they touch the army or its commander, we will never remain silent," he vowed.