Baba UmarWashington DC — Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has pushed back against Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri's rejection of a US-brokered framework agreement with Israel during a media briefing at the White House, insisting that Berri ultimately supports ending the conflict despite his public criticism.
Berri, leader of the Amal Movement and an ally of Hezbollah from southern Lebanon, opposes the agreement.
Asked about Berri's statements that the US-Israel-Lebanon deal amounts to "sedition" and could spark a "civil war", President Aoun told reporters on Tuesday that the framework does not require parliamentary approval.
"Actually, the framework doesn't require the endorsement of the parliament. It's part of our constitution. It's a prerogative of the president, and we are committed to it," Aoun said.
He, however, described Berri as a man who wants to see the war end, noting that the speaker is from southern Lebanon and has long worked to rebuild the region where the ongoing Israeli ground invasion and massive aerial bombardment has killed over 4,000 people, wounded thousands others and uprooted 1.2 million others.
"He (Berri) actually is supportive of what we are doing, but we need to be careful. His position as a Speaker and as a leader of the Shia community, we have to understand how critical is his position," Aoun emphasised.
"I can tell you that Speaker Berri is a man of state. He is supportive of what we are doing, and he is supportive of ending the state of hostility, ending the war once for all," President Aoun added.
The Lebanese president, a former army commander, visited the White House to meet US President Donald Trump and seek the swift implementation of the trilateral framework. Aoun's White House visit marked the first by a Lebanese head of state since 2009.
The US-sponsored agreement between Lebanon and Israel was signed on June 26 following rare direct talks between the two Middle Eastern neighbours, who have been technically at war for around 80 years.
The deal seeks to expand Lebanese military control in the south, cut Hezbollah's military presence, and pave the way for withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanese territory.
Beirut is also seeking international aid for reconstruction after large parts of southern Lebanon were devastated by occupying Israeli forces.
US President Trump, who also commented during the briefing, expressed confidence that Berri would eventually back the agreement once progress becomes clear.
"I think when he (Nabih Berri) sees, because I've heard that he's a good person, good man, and when he sees the progress made, I'm sure he's going to come on," Trump chipped in.
Hezbollah's opposition
President Aoun's visit coincided with the Lebanese army deploying to a "pilot zones" under an agreement with Israel to assert state authority and disarm Hezbollah.
The Lebanese "pilot zones" lie mainly outside areas invaded by Israeli forces after Hezbollah launched rocket attacks, drawing Lebanon into the wider regional war in March.
In March, Hezbollah launched missiles and drones targeting Israel following the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the outbreak of the 2026 US-Israeli war on Iran.
Before this, Hezbollah launched a sustained rocket campaign across the northern border on October 8, 2023, in response to Israel's genocidal war on Gaza.
Hezbollah has opposed talks with Israel from the outset, rejecting the trilateral deal. Leader Naim Qassem has called the agreement a "surrender of sovereignty".
Berri has also rejected the deal, calling it a dictate that does not preserve "Lebanon's rights".
"It is ten times worse than the May 17, 1983 agreement," he said in a recent statement, referring to the last time Lebanon and Israel signed a peace deal.
The Lebanese Parliament Speaker and Hezbollah argue that the Israeli occupation of parts of Lebanon and the ongoing fighting are linked to the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the US and Iran, and must be resolved within its scope.
Ahead of Aoun's meeting with Trump, Berri gave support to president's US visit, saying the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon is the urgent priority.
Speaking to the Lebanese news outlet Al-Afdal News, Berri said he hopes Aoun's meeting with Trump will produce "positive and serious results for the liberation of Lebanon and the realisation of its inalienable rights."
"What matters to me is reaching a genuine solution, not its source," Berri said, adding that President Aoun had called him shortly before departing for Washington.
