Israel's foreign minister said Tuesday he expected ongoing talks in Rome with Lebanon to help implement an agreement on two "pilot zones" in southern Lebanon, referring to the withdrawal of Israeli troops from those areas.

"We are ready to move forward implementing these two pilot zones. I hope and tend to believe that this round of discussions in Rome will promote it," Gideon Saar told journalists at a press conference in Jerusalem.

Commenting on the renewed confrontation between Tehran and Washington, Speaker Nabih Berri has said that "the atmosphere in the region is negative and gloomy as a result of the current escalation," expressing hope that it "will be contained before it worsens, especially since there is ultimately no alternative to returning to negotiations and the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding."

Israeli artillery shelling on Tuesday targeted the Wadi al-Hujeir valley in southern Lebanon.

President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday deplored Iran’s attacks against several Gulf states and Jordan -- which followed U.S. strikes on the Islamic republic -- as well as an attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels against an airport in southern Saudi Arabia that followed an attack on Sanaa’s airport.

President Joseph Aoun visited Doha on Tuesday to offer condolences to Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani over the death of his father, the late emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani.

Lebanese authorities said Monday they had detained a Syrian commander from the Islamic State group, as Damascus investigates an IS-linked cell accused of bombings during a visit by France's President Emmanuel Macron.

Speaker Nabih Berri and Hezbollah’s leadership have received a “new message” from the Iranian leadership, which was sent on Sunday, al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Monday.

President Joseph Aoun vowed Monday not to compromise on Lebanon's sovereign rights or the security of its southern border, ahead of crucial regional negotiations in Rome.

Aoun insisted on a full Israeli withdrawal from all Lebanese territories and a written commitment from Israel that it has no ambitions in Lebanon.

In response to questions conveyed by local and international mediators, Speaker Nabih Berri and Hezbollah have reiterated their rejection of the framework agreement with Israel, emphasizing that they would not engage with all its provisions, al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Monday.

MP Hussein al-Hajj Hassan of Hezbollah on Monday suggested that "the Presidency and the government are committing to things they cannot implement” in the negotiations with Israel.