He appeared to be urging it to press the militant group, a close ally of Iran, to agree to a deal that could require it to pull back from the Israel-Lebanon border.

Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati has appeared to encourage Tehran to convince Hezbollah, which it supports, to agree to a deal that could require the militant group to withdraw from the Israel-Lebanon border.

A top Iranian official has pledged his country’s unwavering support for Lebanon after talks with Lebanese leaders on the Israel-Hezbollah war.

BEIRUT, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Iran will back any decision taken by Lebanon in talks to secure a cease-fire with Israel, a senior Iranian official said on Friday, signalling Tehran wants to see an end to a conflict that has dealt heavy blows to its Lebanese ally Hezbollah.

A senior adviser to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei met Lebanese officials in Beirut Friday, the third high-profile Iranian solidarity visit since the Israel-Hezbollah war began in September.

As a top adviser to Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei visited Lebanon for talks, Lebanese officials said a U.S. proposal for a cease-fire deal had been passed on to Hezbollah.

The World Bank said on Thursday the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has caused $8.5 billion in damage and losses to Lebanon, with final figures expected to be significantly higher as the conflict continues.

Lebanese officials were reviewing on Friday a US truce proposal in the Israel-Hezbollah war as Hamas said it was ready for a ceasefire on Israel's other front, in Gaza.

The IDF statement claims that as Israeli forces advanced deeper into southern Lebanon past the second line of border villages for the first time, a gunfight with Hezbollah operatives claimed the lives of the slain soldiers,