A top Iranian official has held talks with Lebanese leaders on the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah, which came as the United States is actively pushing both sides to agree to a new cease-fire deal.

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.

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.