BEIRUT, Lebanon -The weekend agreement announced in Saudi Arabia after a meeting between King Abdullah and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad was received in Beirut Monday with cautious optimism.

An official government source in beirut said the Saudi and Iranian leaders agreed "to help resolve the Lebanese political crisis as early as possible."

According to reports - not immediately confirmed - in the Lebanese media, Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed on a comprehensive solution to two main problems behind the Lebanese crisis.

These are an opposition demand for a greater share in government to secure a veto, and ratification of the international tribunal to try suspects in the 2005 murder of former premier Rafik Hariri.

The spokesman of pro-Syrian Shiite House Speaker Nabih Berri, MP Ali Hassan al Khalil, warned however that "those who would be hurt by the solution will try to shoot it down."

Anti-Syrian former president Amin Gemayel said he welcomed the outcome of the Saudi-Iranian summit, but added that "a final and lasting settlement must deal with the roots of the Lebanese problem as a whole."

Anti-Syrian Christian leader Samir Geagea also spoke of "a serious proposal" for resolving the Lebanese crisis by Saudi Arabia.

He said the Saudi-Iranian agreement called for formation of a small committee to consider "minor amendments" to the protocol of the international tribunal to try suspects in the 2005 Hariri assassination.

It also called for the simultaneous formation of a new expanded government consisting of 19 ministers for the anti-Syrian majority in parliament, 10 for the opposition and one independent.

According to a government source, the proposal was the same as that hammered out in December through the mediation of Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa.

The source added that Mussa has been in touch with the Lebanese political leaders but would "not return to Beirut unless he makes sure all the parties were willing to put their signatures to the settlement he works out."

The Arab League foreign ministers' council, which met in Cairo on Sunday, authorized Mussa to continue mediation efforts and contacts with the rival Lebanese parties until he accomplishes his mission.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's amabassdaor to Beirut held a round of meetings Monday with Lebanese leaders.

Abdel Aziz Khoja held separate meetings with President Emile Lahoud and Prime Minister Fouad Seniora, after returning from Riyadh.

"The atmosphere is very very positive," he said after meeting Seniora. "I hope we can reach an agreement before the summit in Saudi Arabia on March 28-29," he told reporters.

"If the Lebanese political factions will agree on a settlement, Saudi Arabia will be ready to host them in a meeting to help resolve the crisis."

Saudi Arabia is the main supporter of the Western-backed government of Seniora, which has been divided after the opposition led by Hezbollah decided to stage an open-ended strike in downtown Beirut to force the government to resign.

Lebanon has been in a deep political crisis since the assassination of Hariri, which has been widely blamed on Syria.

The anti-Syrian leaders in the country feel that the opposition do not want the formation of the tribunal, in order to protect their Syrian allies.

An ongoing UN probe in the Hariri case has implicated Syrian and Lebanese officers in the murder of Hariri. -DPA