Lebanon's 'middle position'

Lebanon holds a non permanent seat at the U.N. Security Council. Local reports and analysts suggested that the country's position on sanctioning Iran, reflected its internal political ongoing debate.

The country decided to abstain from voting on new sanctions against Iran at UN Security Council because its government was unable to agree on the issue.

There was a tie between cabinet members who support an abstain vote and those who prefer the country to vote against the UN resolution, Information Minister Tarek Mitri said in a statement after a cabinet session.

Mitri said during the UN voting, Lebanese Ambassador to the UN Nawwaf Salam's acted according to the instructions from Beirut, not on his won.

The minister added that Lebanon does not approve new sanctions against Iran because it believes the issue over Israel's nuclear arsenal should also be raised at international forums.

Local analysts say that he government stance will intensify tensions between Lebanese factions, though a political source denies to Xinhua on condition of anonymity "any negative results" of the vote.

Lebanon and Iran's nuclear program

Violence could spread across the Middle East with Israel paying a "heavy price" if it launched military action against Iran, the deputy leader of Hezbollah Naim Kasem said in March.

Israel sees Iran's nuclear program as a threat to its existence and has not ruled out military action if diplomacy fails to curb the Islamic Republic's atomic work.

The United States and other western powers suspect Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapon. But Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful and aimed at generating electricity.

"Israel or the United States cannot just bomb Iran and expect things to continue normally," said Kasem.

Hezbollah's position was criticized by political groups backed the West, suggesting that the group's announcement puts Lebanon in the line of war.

But Hezbollah kept its position. The group also distributed two weeks ago a harsh statement after the government voted on the sanctions, criticizing the country's failure to vote against Iran' s sanctions.

"We had hoped that Lebanon's position would reflect the capacity of the Lebanese to reach an agreement," the Shiite movement said in the statement.

Amr still hopes for a deal between Iran and the West.

He said such a deal "inherently defuse tensions throughout the Levant and the Gulf, which should, in turn, enable Lebanon to develop somewhat more naturally and peacefully, though long-term stability for Lebanon will also require a resolution to the Arab- Israeli conflict."