With Hezbollah Disarmament Ultimatum,

U.S. Pushes Lebanon Toward New War

Date: 30 July 2025 - 21:39

News ID: ۱۴۲۰۳۴

BEIRUT (Dispatches) -- The United States is intensifying pressure on Lebanon to force a cabinet decision to disarm Hezbollah before any meaningful negotiations can occur regarding Israel’s ongoing attacks and occupation of southern Lebanon, according to multiple sources speaking to Reuters.
This demand comes amidst an entrenched cycle of violence and occupation that Washington and Tel Aviv have perpetuated for years, masking broader geopolitical aims behind the rhetoric of peace and stability.
“Without a public commitment from Lebanese ministers, the U.S. will no longer dispatch envoy Thomas Barrack to Beirut for negotiations with Lebanese officials, or pressure Israel either to stop airstrikes or pull its troops from south Lebanon,” said sources familiar with the situation, including Lebanese officials and diplomats.
This ultimatum reveals a one-sided approach in which Lebanon is expected to disarm before Israel even considers ending its illegal military actions or withdrawing from Lebanese territory it continues to occupy.
Lebanon has long been caught in the crosshairs of U.S. and Israeli efforts to weaken Hezbollah, a group that emerged as a resistance movement after decades of Israeli invasions and occupations.
Washington’s so-called “roadmap” demands full disarmament of Hezbollah, sweeping political reforms in Beirut, and improved ties with Syria — all in exchange for Israel’s withdrawal from the territories it occupied during the ceasefire. This roadmap conveniently overlooks Israel’s ongoing military presence and strikes, placing the burden entirely on Lebanon and its resistance forces.
An earlier Reuters report revealed that envoy Tom Barrack told Lebanon it has until November, or at the latest the end of the year, to disarm Hezbollah.
Lebanon’s official response was unequivocal: Israel must withdraw and halt its attacks first. This stance reflects Lebanon’s precarious position, facing pressure from the U.S. to capitulate, while grappling with an occupying force that repeatedly violates its sovereignty.
According to Reuters’ sources, Nabih Berri — Lebanese parliament speaker and head of Hezbollah’s ally, the Amal Movement — requested that the U.S. ensure Israel halt its strikes as a prerequisite to fully implement the ceasefire agreed upon last year. The sources also claimed that Israel rejected Berri’s proposal late last week, prompting Washington to double down on demands for a Lebanese cabinet vote to disarm Hezbollah.

“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,” a Lebanese source told Reuters.

This hardline stance exposes the true agenda behind Washington’s diplomacy: to dismantle Hezbollah’s military capabilities under the guise of peace, while ignoring Israel’s relentless violations.

Lebanese officials fear that failing to issue a clear commitment to disarm Hezbollah could provoke intensified Israeli strikes, possibly targeting Beirut itself, the sources said. This looming threat coerces Lebanon’s government into a corner, pressured to sacrifice its own defensive capabilities in the face of an aggressor with overwhelming military advantage.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam is expected to convene a cabinet session soon to address the U.S. demands. However, Hezbollah has repeatedly rejected surrendering its weapons, emphasizing its role as Lebanon’s main deterrent against Israeli aggression.

The resistance group is open to discussions about integrating its arms into a national defense strategy, provided Israel withdraws and ends its attacks — conditions Washington and Tel Aviv have so far ignored.

Israeli media reports suggest Tel Aviv is preparing to continue military aggressions against Lebanon despite the ceasefire, even at the risk of sparking a broader conflict.

Since the ceasefire in November, Israel has violated it over 3,000 times, killing more than 200 people and expanding its occupation by establishing control over five strategic locations on Lebanese soil.

Israel justifies its near-daily attacks as legitimate enforcement of the ceasefire, accusing Hezbollah of rebuilding its military capabilities. Yet this narrative masks the reality that these violations perpetuate an illegal occupation and undermine any genuine prospects for peace.

The U.S. and Israel’s insistence on Hezbollah’s disarmament — without demanding reciprocal Israeli withdrawal or cessation of attacks — effectively prolongs the occupation under a veneer of diplomacy.

After suffering military defeats at Hezbollah’s hands in previous conflicts, Washington and Tel Aviv now seek to weaken the group politically and militarily through coercion rather than direct confrontation.

This strategy risks undermining Lebanon’s sovereignty and security, forcing it to disarm against an occupying force’s ongoing aggression. It also dismisses Hezbollah’s historical role as a defensive force born from Israel’s repeated invasions and occupations.

In reality, the U.S. and Israel’s policy agenda prolongs instability in Lebanon and the region, using Hezbollah’s disarmament as a pretext to maintain control over southern Lebanon.

Genuine peace and stability will require addressing the root causes — ending occupation and respecting Lebanon’s right to self-defense — not imposing unilateral disarmament while tolerating Israeli aggression.