Berri denies any direct warning to Lebanon amid Israeli threat rumors

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
Today 13:29

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri dismisses rumors of an Israeli threat and denies any direct warnings from international envoys.

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Lebanon's Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri gestures to journalists as he welcomes Cyprus' President Nikos Christodoulides, in Beirut, Lebanon, on April 8, 2024. (AP)

In response to a wave of rumors about an "Israeli deadline" or an "imminent war" by the Israeli occupation against Lebanon, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri dismissed the claims, stressing that all such reports come exclusively from Israeli media.

He categorically denied that any international envoy had conveyed a direct threat to Lebanon.

Berri also firmly denied, in an interview with the Lebanese newspaper Al-Diyar, claims that Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty had delivered any threat to Lebanon, adding that "no threat was conveyed to us," and that the circulated reports did not exceed "a general atmosphere."

What’s behind Ali Hassan Khalil’s visit to Tehran?

Regarding Lebanese MP Ali Hassan Khalil’s visit to the Iranian capital, Tehran, Berri explained that Khalil attended an official conference and met with several Iranian officials, including the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani.

According to Berri, the visit provided a direct insight into the political mood in Tehran and whether there was any movement between Iran and the United States that could affect regional files and Lebanon. The meetings revealed that "there is currently no communication channel or dialogue between the two sides."

Berri: No amendment to the electoral law

Speaker Nabih Berri addressed the ongoing debate over the electoral law, definitively stating that "the current law will be applied as is, without any amendments."

He clarified that voting for expatriates follows one of two options, saying Lebanese will be "either voting abroad for the six MPs allocated to them, or traveling to Lebanon to vote for the 128 MPs."

Regarding the letter sent by Congressmen Darrell Issa and Darin Lahoud to the White House, in which they said that "Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri is once again blocking progress on the electoral law," Berri responded with pointed humor, saying: "I don’t lose sleep, they’ve been working against me since 2007," indicating his disregard for repeated pressures and attempts to influence his stance.