U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and U.S. special envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack speaks after meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in Beirut, Lebanon June 19, 2025. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir/File photo
US Special Envoy Tom Barrack warned, in an interview with the Emirati newspaper The National, that Lebanon risks falling into the hands of regional powers unless Beirut moves to resolve the issue of Hezbollah’s arms
He pointed out that “Lebanon needs to resolve this issue, otherwise it could face an existential threat,” adding, “Israel on one side, Iran on the other, and now Syria is emerging very quickly. If Lebanon doesn’t act, it will return to the Levant.”
He added, “The Syrians say Lebanon is our beach resort. So we have to act. And I know how frustrated the Lebanese people are. This frustrates me too.”
The Iran-backed Hezbollah militia was severely weakened in its war with Israel. The ceasefire that was agreed last November between Israel and Hezbollah was based on UN resolution 1701 and 1559 which call for disarming all militia in Lebanon. Following his election last January president Joseph Aoun pledged to make the Lebanese army the only entity allowed to bear arms but he has been overly cautious in taking the ultimate decision of disarming Hezbollah for fear of a civil war. The majority of the Lebanese have been pressing Aoun to act in resolving the issue of Hezbollah arms and many leaders threatened to pull out of the government if Aoun does not act
Ya Libnan /El Nashra/ News Agencies