Higher Islamic Shiite Council deputy chief Sheikh Ali al-Khatib congratulated Friday Iran and Saudi Arabia over their agreement to resume ties after seven years of tensions, and hoped the reconciliation would reflect positively on Lebanon.

Iran and Saudi Arabia earlier on Friday agreed to reestablish diplomatic relations and reopen embassies. The major diplomatic breakthrough negotiated with China lowers the chance of armed conflict between the nations — both directly and in proxy conflicts around the region.

Independent MP Charbel Masaad on Friday stormed a bank in the southern city of Sidon to demand that a depositor be paid his money in cash, the state-run National News Agency reported.

The lawmaker, who is still inside the bank, held “banks, the banking system and the central bank governor responsible for people’s suicide,” NNA added.

L'Orient-Le Jour has managed to obtain a non-final list of potential consensual candidates whose names have been discussed between the Christian leaders and Maronite Arbishop of Antelias Antoine Bou Najem.

Here is the list of the candidates who have either announced they were running for president or emerged as potential candidates.

Kataeb Party chief MP Sami Gemayel who had already vowed to block a presidential vote that would elect Hezbollah's candidate, has said that coordination with the Free Patriotic Movement is possible, on condition that it stops supporting Hezbollah.

FPM MP Alain Aoun had also said Thursday that the FPM might agree with the opposition MPs on a presidential candidate.

Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Thursday lashed out at the United States and called on the Lebanese to “seek solutions instead of bowing to international conditions.”

The Association of Banks in Lebanon announced Thursday that the country’s banks will resume their open-ended strike on Tuesday, March 14, decrying recent judicial rulings.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri's open nomination to Marada leader Suleiman Franjieh is not a challenge, Berri said, but is supposed to break the presidential deadlock.

In remarks published Thursday in al-Joumhouria, Berri said that his nomination to Franjieh is supposed to urge the other parties to announce their candidates, in order to seriously elect a president.

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati met Thursday with United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Joanna Wronecka at the Grand Serail.

Wronecka stressed the need for Lebanon to commit to implementing basic reforms and completing constitutional junctures on time, especially the presidential and municipal polls.

The ambassadors of the UK, the U.S., Canada, Germany and the Netherlands and the deputy ambassador of Japan have met with caretaker PM Najib Mikati and agreed with him on “continued support for transparency and accountability in Lebanon,” a joint statement said.

Free Patriotic Movement Alain Aoun said Thursday that the FPM might agree with the opposition MPs on a presidential candidate.

"We are communicating with all parties," Aoun said, adding that hic bloc hasn't yet decided on a candidate.