The controversy stems from a meeting this weekend between US envoy Maura Connelly and lawmaker Nicolas Fattouch, who is seen as a key “undecided” lawmaker as Lebanon’s political factions scramble to form a new government.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Ali Shami “considers these kinds of contacts as interference in Lebanon’s internal affairs,” the ministry said in a statement.

After Monday’s meeting with Shami, Connelly’s office denied any interference.

“She explained to the foreign minister that the United States embassy has regular contact with personalities from across Lebanon’s political spectrum as part of its diplomatic mission,” an embassy spokesman said.

The diplomatic spat is the latest fallout from Lebanon’s government collapse. Hezbollah’s ministers and their allies resigned from the government on Wednesday in a dispute over indictments in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minster Rafik Hariri.

Meanwhile, Lebanon postponed talks to form a new government Monday as regional leaders met in Syria to discuss the crisis.

The two-day consultations were scheduled to begin Monday.

The first indictment was filed Monday, although details of suspects named in the indictment and the charges against them were not released.

The leader of Hezbollah on Sunday defended the decision to bring down Lebanon’s government, saying the Shiite movement did so without resorting to violence.

“We carried out a constitutional, legal and democratic step to bring down the government. We did not use weapons,” Sheik Hassan Nasrallah said in a televised speech in his first comments since the government collapse.

“We are not scared of speeches, statements or anyone’s threats in this world.”