Caretaker Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn called on officials to stop meddling in the country's security, pointing out that the country will most likely fall into sedition if the clashes in the northern city of Tripoli weren't controlled by the army.

“The army is playing an important role in the northern city... It was granted the green light by the political power to do what is necessary,” Ghosn said in comments to Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3)on Wednesday.

Efforts exerted by Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam hit several roadblocks this week after fighting engulfed the northern city of Tripoli and Hizbullah's involvement in the Syrian war drew strong local and international condemnation.

A proposal to give the Hizbullah-led March 8 alliance, the March 14 coalition and the centrists eight ministers each in the new cabinet collapsed after Hizbullah's involvement in the fighting in Syria, informed sources told An Nahar daily published Wednesday.

Speaker Nabih Berri is holding consultations with political foes away from media spotlight as a last attempt for reaching common ground over a new electoral law before resorting to the extension of the parliament's mandate.

A proposal made by Zahle MP Nicolas Fattoush to extend the mandate of the parliament by two years was sent to lawmakers later on Wednesday to study it.

A U.S. congress delegation is scheduled to arrive in Beirut in the upcoming few days to hold talks with senior officials over the situation in Lebanon and the region.

According to al-Joumhouria newspaper published on Wednesday, the delegation will also discuss the impact of the conflict in Syria on the neighboring countries including Lebanon.

The White House on Tuesday condemned Hizbullah's "direct intervention" in the battle for the Syrian rebel stronghold of Qusayr, and slammed President Bashar Assad for seeking help from Iran.

A day after President Barack Obama called President Michel Suleiman to express concern over the role of the party in Syria, his spokesman Jay Carney amplified U.S. concerns about an expansion of the war.

The United States said Tuesday it does not differentiate between Hizbullah's armed and political wings as it again urged Europe to blacklist the group, a decision diplomats indicated could be imminent.

A formal request to brand the party as a terrorist group was filed by Britain and is to be discussed at closed-door talks June 4 of a committee overseeing the EU list of people and groups subject to its asset freezing regime, European diplomats said.

Iranians are working alongside Hizbullah fighters to back Syrian troops battling to retake the rebel stronghold of Qusayr amid fears of a civilian massacre, a U.S. official said Tuesday.

"It is the most visible effort we have seen by Hizbullah to engage directly in the fighting in Syria as a foreign force, and we understand there are also Iranians up there," a senior State Department official told reporters.

Clashes renewed in a fierce manner in Tripoli on Tuesday afternoon, leaving at least four people dead and several others wounded, as the Arab Democratic Party declared an open battle and warned that it “will not let Tripoli sleep.”

The National News Agency said Mohammed Rashid Soltani, 30, was killed and two other people were wounded, identifying them as Yehia Seif Obeid, 81, and Khaled Mohammed Mohammed, 33.

Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc urged the three presidents on Tuesday to act quickly and draw an end to "Hizbullah's crimes in Syria," considering that the party is implementing the instructions of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

"We call on President Michel Suleiman, Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati and Speaker Nabih Berri to act quickly to stop Hizubllah's involvement in killing Syrians in (the Syrian border town of) al-Qusayr,” the lawmakers said in a released statement after the bloc's weekly meeting at the Center House.

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun announced on Tuesday his readiness to have parliament vote on the Orthodox Gathering and hybrid electoral draft laws.

He said after the Change and Reform bloc's weekly meeting: “I am prepared to accept the outcomes of the votes on both of the draft laws.”