Shafaq News- Beirut

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Monday welcomed the US-Iran memorandum of understanding, which includes a ceasefire in Lebanon.

In a statement, Aoun said he valued the agreement's acknowledgment of Lebanon's particular circumstances, and called on all parties to translate the understanding into practical steps that would end the cycle of violence and open a path toward recovery and reconstruction. Aoun also thanked the states and parties that worked to ensure Lebanon was included in the de-escalation efforts, citing the scale of suffering Lebanese communities had endured in recent months.

Berri, for his part, said the memorandum preserves Lebanon's full sovereignty without compromising the country's independence or freedom of national decision-making. He commended the mediation efforts of Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt in bringing the deal together.

The memorandum, set to be signed on June 19 in Geneva, would extend an existing ceasefire for 60 days and bring Lebanon under its terms.

Berri has pursued a parallel diplomatic track alongside the direct Lebanese-Israeli talks held in Washington earlier this month —a process Hezbollah rejected outright. Hezbollah official Nawaf Mousawi revealed that the United States had requested a direct communication channel with the Lebanese negotiating team, but that Hezbollah referred Washington to Berri as the sole legitimate interlocutor. The group clarified it was not in direct contact with Aoun or Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, routing all communication through Berri instead.

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem urged Lebanon to cancel the Washington talks, while Walid Jumblatt, leader of the Progressive Socialist Party, described the official negotiating team as closer in position to the Israeli side than to Lebanon's own declared interests.

Despite the proposed agreement, Israel signaled it would maintain its military presence in areas it considers strategically important. Defense Minister Israel Katz said he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had adopted a policy under which Israeli forces would remain in "security zones" in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza. Meanwhile, Maariv quoted a military source as saying Israeli forces would continue operating in the so-called "Yellow Line" area in southern Lebanon and had not received any orders to halt operations or withdraw troops from areas where they are currently deployed.

Read more: US-Iran ceasefire deal leaves Lebanon without guarantees