Lebanese Opposition Agrees to Join Unity Government

Lebanon's opposition bloc of lawmakers, led by Hezbollah, said over the weekend it had agreed to join a unity government with Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri, a move that could end more than four months of political deadlock.

Mr. Hariri has yet to announce his 30-member cabinet, and a final accord could snag in coming days. But opposition officials have given their clearest signal yet that they will share power with the Western-backed bloc of lawmakers that Mr. Hariri led to victory in June parliamentary elections.

A deal, if consummated, would represent a significant easing of political tensions in Lebanon. It would also mark a deepening regional détente between two foreign powers that have exercised outsize sway in Lebanese politics: Saudi Arabia and Syria. Lebanon has long served as a battleground for bigger Middle East and global powers. The June election pitted Mr. Hariri's bloc, backed by the U.S., European allies and Saudi Arabia, against an opposition led by Hezbollah, the Shiite political and militant group supported by Syria and Iran.

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