Lead:

Lebanon finds itself at a defining crossroads as a United States military delegation from CENTCOM arrived in Beirut to support implementation of the framework agreement with Israel, while domestic political and religious voices intensified opposition to the deal. President Joseph Aoun reaffirmed his commitment to the negotiation track, and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, signaling Lebanon's effort to diversify its diplomatic support as the Rome talks approach.

Details:

President Joseph Aoun made clear in remarks to a gathering of journalists, cited by Al-Akhbar and Al-Markazia, that he will not retreat from the decision to negotiate with Israel, describing the process as cementing Lebanese sovereignty and shortening the duration of occupation in the south. Aoun also held a working session with Lebanese Armed Forces Commander General Rudolf Haikel focused on security developments and the framework agreement's implementation, according to Al-Akhbar. In a separate interview cited by Al-Markazia, Aoun stated that he chose negotiations to reduce the suffering of southern Lebanese citizens and expressed confidence in his upcoming meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Opposition to the agreement remained vocal. Member of Parliament Hassan Fadlallah of the Wafaa lil-Muqawama bloc declared, as reported by Al-Akhbar, that Iran has communicated to the resistance and Lebanese authorities that it will not endorse any final deal before Israel completes its withdrawal from Lebanese territory, and he urged the government to reverse course on the framework agreement, which he described as written in Israel. Sheikh Ahmad Qabalan, the distinguished Jaafari Mufti, stated in his Friday sermon in Bourj al-Barajneh that Lebanese sovereignty stands above any side arrangement, while Sayyid Ali Fadlallah, speaking from the Imamain al-Hassanain mosque in Haret Hreik, argued that freedom and sovereignty must be earned through sacrifice rather than granted through agreements.

Meanwhile, Al-Markazia and LBCI reported that American officials delivered partial guarantees regarding Israeli withdrawals from initial southern zones, and that Lebanon has not yet designated its representative to the committee formed under the Washington-Tehran memorandum of understanding following the Islamabad talks, pending formal notification from the American side. Parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri, responding to remarks by President Trump suggesting Syria could manage Hezbollah, stated that Syria has no intention of interfering in Lebanese affairs and underscored the importance of the Islamabad negotiating channel.

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