TEHRAN (IRNA) -- Iran's Ambassador to Lebanon, Masoud Edrissi, here on Saturday denounced as a 'lie' the Zionist regime's claim of the presence in Iran of the missing Israeli pilot, Ran Arad.

Touring the city of Seida in southern Lebanon, Edrissi added that the Zionist regime is attempting to counteract the domestic pressures exerted on the Israeli cabinet for bringing to light the fate of Arad.

Arad was lost after his plane crashed during the bombardment of southern Lebanon in 1986.

The Friday edition of the Israeli daily `Yediot Ahronot' claimed that Arad is in custody in a prison near Tehran.

During his visit to Seida, the Iranian diplomat in separate meetings with the Head of the Nasseriha Khalq Organization Osama Sa'd, a Sunni Clergy Sheikh Ahmad al-Zin, a deputy Ms Bahiya Hariri and Deputy Chairman of Seida Islamic Jamaat Sheikh Ali Ammar, discussed the issue.

Assessing the current Middle East situation as sensitive and complicated, he called for negotiations among the Arab and Muslim states to get prepared to counteract the current challenges.

He noted that the U.S. anti-Iran pressures and threats concerning peaceful application of nuclear energy is connected with Iran's backing of Lebanon, Syria and the Palestinian cause.

Denouncing the likelihood of the Zionist regime's assault on Lebanon, he remarked that given Israel's bitter experience in connection with its invasion of Lebanon, it is not expected to repeat it.