The sight of blocked roads, burned tires and subsequent clashes that broke out between opposition and pro-government followers was reminiscent of the dark days of the civil war -- although today alliances have shifted.

Both camps include Muslim and Christian parties -- a new mixture that "reflects a confessional balance of terror in the country whereby it is difficult for any party to score a clear victory," according to a political observer.

Although supporters and opponents of the government emphasized that they don't want to plunge the country into another civil war or Iraqi-style sectarian strife, Tuesday's confrontations sounded the alarm.

A decision by the opposition -- that mainly comprises Hezbollah, the Amal movement led by House Speaker Nabih Berri, the Free Patriotic Movement of General Michel Aoun, and Syria's firm ally al-Marada of former minister Suleiman Franjieh -- to end the strike has temporarily spared the country any further uncontrolled escalation.

By Wednesday calm was restored, roads were reopened and normal life had returned. But both opposition and pro-government leaders remained firm on their demands, exchanging even harsher accusations of attempts to drag the country into chaos and provoke confessional strife.

Hezbollah leader Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah, who spoke Wednesday night to a group of his followers in preparation for Ashoura, said the opposition refrained from toppling the government of Prime Minister Fouad Seniora through street protests in order "to preserve civic peace and not push Lebanon into a civil war."

Nasrallah accused some pro-government followers of "shooting at opposition followers in various regions... to drag Lebanon into a civil war, an inter-Christian and a Sunni-Shiite strife...and this is all to serve the United States and Israel."

Saad Hariri, son of slain Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and head of the majority bloc in parliament lashed out at the opposition for carrying out its strike and exposing Lebanon "to a wave of chaos that target the country (peaceful confessional) co-existence."

According to a political analyst, the Tuesday opposition strike was "an attempt to break the deadlock" after several Arab mediation attempts failed up till now to help the Lebanese resolve their political dispute.

The opposition, which accuses the Seniora government of being too close to the West and of bankrupting Lebanon, has increased its demands from a larger participation in the cabinet to calling for early elections.

The pro-government leaders, who include Saad Hariri, Druze leader Walid Jumblatt and Samir Geagea of the Christian Lebanese Forces, accuse the Hezbollah-led opposition of executing the orders of Syria and Iran" and refuse to enlarge the cabinet in such a way Hezbollah and its allies would have a veto.

"They (opposition and government supporters) are pushing things to the edge. The only way to avoid slipping quickly (into a sectarian strife) is that the Lebanese reach an understanding among themselves with the help of Saudi Arabia and Iran and sponsored by the U.S .and France," the analyst told United Press International.

Signs of serious attempts to reach an understanding between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which support the main rivals in Lebanon's political crisis, began to loom.

Last week, Iranian official Ali Larijani met with Saudi King Abdallah in Riyadh for talks which reportedly focused on the explosive situation in Lebanon.

According to a Lebanese official source who spoke to UPI, Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan traveled Wednesday to Tehran to continue talks.

The source said Saudi Arabia and Iran, which support the main rivals in Lebanon's political crisis, are possibly negotiating a deal to end the political crisis that would cover formation of a unity government and an understanding on a U.N.-backed international court to try suspects in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri.

Lebanese Acting Foreign Minister Tarek Mitri, who spoke to a local radio station from Paris where he is attending an international aid conference for Lebanon in Paris, referred to Saudi efforts with Iran to help push an Arab initiative led by Arab League Secretary-General Amr Mousa to end the political standoff in the country.

Mitri said Iran, which backs Hezbollah and was in alliance with Syria, could help give another chance for the success of "the Arab initiative."

Such hopes were boosted with comments by Iranian and Saudi Foreign Ministers, Manouchehr Mottaki and Prince Saud al-Faisal, who emphasized during a telephone contact Wednesday on the need to "continue the consultations to resolve the Lebanese crisis and achieve a just settlement that would be satisfactory to both parties (opposition and government supporters)."

Although Nasrallah welcomed the Iranian-Saudi efforts, he played down a possible deal by saying; "Neither Saudi Arabia nor Iran plan to commit their friends in Lebanon... Any understanding between any two states in the world are not biding to the Lebanon who should search for an understanding (themselves)."

Nasrallah went a step further by insisting that the opposition would not relinquish its demands and threatened of more escalating actions to achieve its set goals.

It is true that the Lebanese need to find solutions to their own problems but it is equally true that their country is being trapped by the complexities of the region.

"Lebanon is part of the great bazaar in the region," said the political analyst. "The ideal solution will be an Iranian-U.S. deal, whereby Syria is no more ignored."

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