BEIRUT – The United States is pressuring Lebanon to issue a formal cabinet decision committing to the disarmament of Hezbollah before any further negotiations can resume on halting Israel’s military operations in the country, five sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
According to the sources – which include two Lebanese officials, two diplomats, and a Lebanese source close to the discussions – Washington has made clear that without a public commitment from the Lebanese cabinet, U.S. envoy Thomas Barrack will no longer travel to Beirut for further talks. Additionally, the U.S. will refrain from applying diplomatic pressure on Israel to stop its airstrikes or withdraw troops from southern Lebanon.
The U.S. State Department has not yet commented on the matter.
For nearly six weeks, Washington and Beirut have been negotiating a roadmap under which Hezbollah would be fully disarmed in exchange for Israel ending its military strikes and pulling back from five positions in southern Lebanon. The proposal hinges on a formal cabinet decision by the Lebanese government pledging to disarm the Iranian-backed militia.
While Hezbollah has rejected calls for full disarmament publicly, the group is reportedly open to reducing its arsenal under certain conditions. Hezbollah has told Lebanese officials that Israel must take the first step by halting airstrikes and withdrawing troops. The group is designated a terrorist organization by the United States and several Western nations.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Hezbollah’s key political ally, has asked Washington to ensure that Israel stops its strikes as a precondition to enforcing the ceasefire agreement reached last year after months of cross-border fighting. However, Israel reportedly rejected Berri’s proposal late last week. The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
With diplomatic efforts stalling, the U.S. has now demanded that Lebanon’s cabinet vote immediately on the disarmament issue. “The U.S. is saying there’s no more Barrack, no more papers back and forth — the council of ministers should take a decision and then we can keep discussing. They cannot wait any longer,” said a Lebanese source close to the negotiations.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam is expected to convene a cabinet session in the coming days to address the demand. During his recent visit to Beirut, Barrack told Salam that the U.S. cannot compel Israel to act unilaterally. In a post on social media following the visit, Barrack wrote, “As long as Hezbollah retains arms, words will not suffice. The government and Hezbollah need to fully commit and act now in order to not consign the Lebanese people to the stumbling status quo.”
All five sources indicated that Lebanon’s leadership is increasingly concerned that failure to issue a clear disarmament commitment could provoke an escalation in Israeli military strikes, potentially even targeting the capital, Beirut.