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is under a diplomatic siege byÌýArab countries, the nation's parliamentary speaker saidÌýWednesday amid an ongoing dispute with states.

asked how Arab states can accommodate Israel but "close their gates in front of Lebanon who paid a heavy price to preserve its Arab identity".

"Yes, Lebanon is facing a siege. In order to reach solutions, there must be dialogue," Berri was quoted as saying byÌýAnadolu Agency.

The speaker's remarks came as he met Joseph Qossaifi, the Lebanese Editors-in-Chief Syndicate leader.

Lebanon's ties with Gulf Arab nations have deteriorated since contentious comments made by former information ministerÌýGeorge Kordahi about the role of Gulf countries inÌýYemen's war came to light in October.

Outraged by Kordahi's remarks, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait removed their envoys to Beirut.

Kordahi quit as information minister nearly two weeks ago, seeking to ease Lebanon's tensions with the Gulf.

Lebanon hopes to smooth over ties with Gulf countries quickly, as it desperately needs foreign assistance to overcome its political and economicÌýcrises.

Its currency'sÌýexchange rate is plummeting, power outages are frequent, andÌý 80 percent of the population now lives in poverty.

Beirut on Wednesday ordered the expulsion of Bahraini opposition figures after they held a press conference in the Lebanese capital last weekÌýthat irkedÌýManama,ÌýLebanon's National News Agency (NNA) said.

Al-Wefaq was Bahrain's leading opposition party until the judiciary dissolved it in 2016. It is banned from operating in Bahrain.ÌýThe party has close links with Lebanese ShiaÌýmovement Hezbollah.

At the press conference, Al-WefaqÌýdenounced what it said were human rights violations in Bahrain, local media reported.

In response, Bahrain's government denounced "the promotion of malicious allegations and causing harm to the Kingdom of Bahrain", according to NNA.

Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi on Wednesday directed security officials "to take the measures necessary to expel from Lebanon the non-Lebanese members" of , it added.