US 'unbelievably satisfied' with Lebanon reply to proposal on disarming Hezbollah
Envoy Thomas Barrack's proposal, delivered to Lebanese officials during his last visit on June 19, would see Hezbollah fully disarmed within four months in exchange for Israel halting air strikes and withdrawing troops from posts in south Lebanon they still occupy following a war last year.
Speaking to reporters after meeting Lebanon's president on Monday, Barrack said he had received a seven-page reply, although he gave no details of its contents.
"What the government gave us was something spectacular in a very short period of time," Barrack said. "I'm unbelievably satisfied with the response."
Barrack, a longtime advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump who also serves as U.S. ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria, said he believed "the Israelis do not want war with Lebanon".
"Both countries are trying to give the same thing - the notion of a stand-down agreement, of the cessation of hostilities, and a road to peace," he said.
Israel crushed the leadership of Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in a bombing campaign last year, one of many fronts on which it has inflicted severe blows against Iran and its allies since the start of the war in Gaza in 2023.
Hezbollah has already relinquished some weapons and withdrawn from southern areas under a ceasefire agreed last year. Israel has kept troops at five posts in southern Lebanon and continued targeting Hezbollah fighters with air strikes, saying it wants the group to pose no threat to Israel.
Hezbollah has not publicly responded to the U.S. disarmament proposal, but its leader said on Sunday the group needed to keep some weapons to defend Lebanon from Israel. Sources have told Reuters that the group is considering shrinking its arsenal, without disarming in full.
In the hours before Barrack's visit, Israel carried out a wave of air strikes on Lebanon's south and east as well as a cross-border ground assault on a Lebanese border village. The Israeli escalation was seen by Lebanese officials and diplomats as an attempt to ratchet up pressure on Hezbollah.
Western countries have long said changes in the region could provide a chance for Lebanon to strengthen state institutions that have remained weak for decades in the shadow of powerful sectarian groups.
Barrack said Hezbollah needed reassurance that it would still have future in Lebanon as a major political party.
Regional changes provided an opportunity for Lebanon, he said, noting that Syria's new government, which took power last year after the fall of Iranian ally Bashar al-Assad, was now opening dialogue with Israel.
"The dialogue has started between Syria and Israel, just as the dialogue needs to be reinvented by Lebanon," he said. "If you don't want change, it's no problem. The rest of the region is moving at Mach speed and you will be left behind."
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JAMnews
25 minutes ago
- JAMnews
"Armenia could lose control over unblocked transport routes,": Opinion from Yerevan
Armenia reacts to Trump's proposal In recent days, the issue of unblocking regional transportation routes has being actively discussed in Armenia. The Carnegie Endowment, citing diplomatic sources, reported that US President Donald Trump's administration proposed that Yerevan and Baku hand over control of these transport links to a private American company. However, the details of the proposal have not been disclosed. Azerbaijan continues to insist on an extraterritorial corridor for direct land access to its Nakhichevan exclave. Armenian authorities maintain that they are ready to unblock transport routes, but stress that this must happen based on the principles of sovereignty, national jurisdiction, reciprocity, and equality. Meanwhile, international media outlets have been reporting on a possible meeting between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in the United Arab Emirates. While no official confirmation has been given, some analysts, citing their sources, have even named possible dates in July. Middle East Eye reports that the UAE is seeking to host the talks 'as part of its efforts to improve relations between the two Caucasus nations.' The Armenian prime minister's spokesperson, Nazeli Baghdasaryan, neither confirmed nor denied the reports. Political analyst Tigran Grigoryan says that if such a meeting takes place, the main focus will be on the unblocking of regional communications. However, he fears that if control over the road is handed to a private American company, Armenia will in fact face the logic of a corridor. And this is considered a red line by all local political analysts. Here's what is known about the US proposal, statements from Armenia's foreign ministry, and expert commentary. 'The guarantor will be American business' According to the Carnegie Endowment publication, the road would be controlled by an American company. The implementation of the agreements reached would be 'guaranteed by American business and American interests.' Olesya Vartanyan, the author of the article, explained in an interview with Radio Azatutyun (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) that the proposal reflects the logic of the Trump administration: 'It implies that if there are initiatives or proposals, they should, among other things, involve American business and American capital. There is an example of this approach not far from us—in Ukraine. They have even signed an agreement regarding rare earth metals.' According to Vartanyan, the proposal was delivered to the parties by Joshua Huck, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, who visited Yerevan and Baku in May. The proposal is still under discussion, and there are 'various options' for how it might proceed. During her conversation with a State Department representative, she was assured that the program would be successful, and that 'President Trump might even receive a Nobel Prize for it.' What exact powers the American company would have, what specific functions it would perform, and whether it would manage the route only on Armenian territory or also on the Azerbaijani side—these questions remain unanswered. Yerevan proposes 'mutually beneficial outcomes for the region' In response to the Carnegie Endowment publication, Armenian foreign ministry spokesperson Ani Badalyan emphasized that Armenia has been and remains interested in unblocking regional transport infrastructure. She recalled the Armenian government's 'Crossroads of Peace' initiative, which has already received positive feedback from many international partners. 'Moreover, Armenia has proposed a number of solutions under this initiative that could be acceptable to all parties involved,' she noted, without disclosing details. Response to Erdogan's statement on Armenia's 'flexible approach' 'Although Armenia initially opposed the Zangezur corridor, it is now demonstrating a more flexible approach toward economic integration,' said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, without providing details. According to Anadolu Agency, Erdogan suggested that the so-called 'Zangezur corridor' would bring new opportunities not only for Azerbaijan, but for the entire region. Commenting on his remarks, Armenian foreign ministry spokesperson Ani Badalyan stressed that Armenia has always been and remains committed to enhancing regional connectivity: 'With this understanding, Armenia presented the 'Crossroads of Peace initiative', along with concrete ideas, solutions, and constructive proposals. In our view, these can deliver mutually beneficial outcomes for regional countries as well as for partners interested in broader transport networks.' However, her main message was that Armenia's stance remains unchanged: 'As before, Armenia's vision for unblocking regional transport infrastructure is firmly based on the principles of sovereignty and national jurisdiction over communications, and does not envision any alternative logic.' Pashinyan counts on Trump Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan extended his congratulations to the US president on Independence Day, emphasizing his appreciation for Trump's efforts to end conflicts and promote global peace: 'I am confident that under your leadership, the United States will make a significant contribution to achieving long-awaited peace, stability, and prosperity in the South Caucasus.' Pashinyan also reaffirmed his government's commitment to a 'peace agenda based on the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the inviolability of internationally recognized borders.' Commentary Political analyst Tigran Grigoryan says that the issue of unblocking regional transport routes has been a priority for Washington, including under the Biden administration: 'Since summer 2024, there has been public information that a proposal is being discussed to oversee transit along this route through a private company acting as a facilitator.' According to him, earlier discussions involved a Swiss company, but Baku rejected that option: 'At this stage, the talks are centered on an American or Armenian-American joint venture overseeing the route. Armenia's participation in the project appears to be an Armenian proposal, primarily aimed at preventing a negative reaction from Iran.' Grigoryan stresses the importance of clarifying the details. He warns that despite all sides formally recognizing Armenia's sovereignty, the country could lose actual control over the route: 'We still have little information. But if Armenia delegates certain powers to this company, it could essentially introduce a 'corridor logic.' Even Pashinyan himself hinted at this during his meeting with the Armenian community in Turkey.' At that meeting, Pashinyan declared that there would be no 'Zangezur Corridor' and that Armenia's 'Crossroads of Peace' project would become a reality. However, he warned fellow Armenians: 'The moment the 'Crossroads of Peace' project is activated, Azerbaijan will say, 'Look, the Zangezur Corridor has been opened.' And we must be prepared for that. But any simplifications [of transit] must be within the framework of our sovereignty on our territory, and theirs on theirs. Such simplifications should be reciprocal.' Grigoryan doubts Iran will tolerate the presence of a US company on the route, and he expects Russia to object as well: 'After its withdrawal from Nagorno-Karabakh, Russia sees the unblocking of regional routes as its last remaining tool to maintain influence over Armenia and Azerbaijan.' He believes Baku has not yet accepted the US proposal. If the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders meet in the UAE, the focus will likely be on unblocking the routes. As for a peace deal, Grigoryan remains skeptical: 'I see no signs that Baku will abandon its preconditions for signing an agreement—such as its demand for constitutional amendments in Armenia. There's little reason to expect any breakthroughs or compromises on this issue.' Journalist Tatul Hakobyan believes it doesn't really matter whether the unblocked roads are called a corridor, a highway, or a passage: 'The main issue is who will control the railroad and highway to be built from Azerbaijan to Nakhchivan and Turkey along the Araks River, through Meghri, on the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia.' He stresses that Armenia has repeatedly publicly stated that losing control over its territory is unacceptable. However, he adds that Armenia has now given preliminary consent to transfer about 45 kilometers of its roads and other infrastructure along the Araks River to the management of an American—or more precisely, an Armenian-American—organization: 'The Washington proposal to hand over management of the Meghri communications to an Armenian-American organization is effectively handing control to the American side. The 'Armenian' part [in the term Armenian-American] was inserted in the proposal in hopes of softening the anger of the Russian side and the currently weakened Iranian side.' According to Tatul Hakobyan, Yerevan is fundamentally not opposed to Washington's proposal, while Baku has yet to make a final decision. Because of this, he also places great importance on the bilateral Pashinyan-Aliyev meeting in the UAE. Follow us – Twitter | Facebook | Instagram Armenia reacts to Trump's proposal
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Prince Andrew 'free to end travel ban' after bombshell FBI decision over Epstein
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The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Brics summit in Brazil tries to reinvent collective approach to world's problems
As the US retreats from the international stage, the most powerful political alliance in the global south has come together in Brazil this week to try to revive and reinvent a collective approach to the world's problems. The summit of the Brics group of nations at the Museum of Contemporary Art on the edge of Guanabara Bay in Rio de Janeiro is both a dress rehearsal for the Belém Cop30 UN climate conference in November and a rebuke to wealthier countries that have withdrawn to bunkers, launched missiles and choked off aid to poorer regions. Opening the Brics conference on Sunday, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva spelled out the dire global scenario. Eighty years after the defeat of fascism and the creation of the UN, 'we have witnessed an unparalleled collapse of multilateralism', the Brazilian president told leaders. 'Hard-won advances, such as climate and trade regimes, are under threat.' The autonomy of the Brics group was being challenged, he warned. Donald Trump has slapped hefty tariffs on several Brics nations and threatened even higher penalties if the group continues to seek alternatives to the use of the dollar for international trade. Military tensions are rising. The US has launched missile attacks on one Brics nation, Iran, which Lula denounced along with the 'genocide carried out by Israel in Gaza', the attack on Ukraine (by Russia, a founder member of Brics) and Nato's decision to allocate 5% of GDP to military spending. 'It is always easier to invest in war than in peace,' he said. 'The fear of a nuclear catastrophe has returned to everyday life.' Brazilian diplomats see the Brics alliance as part of an emerging new world order. With Trump pushing the US towards a more insular 'America first' outlook, they see an opportunity for the old superpower hegemony to give way to a more equitable, multipolar system of global governance. And in theory, the Brics grouping should have the heft to drive through changes. Its 11 full members account for 40% of the global population and economy, and more than half of the world's greenhouse gas emissions – on all of these counts, putting it ahead of the G7 group of the world's richest, and ideologically capitalist, countries, mostly from the global north. But Brics nations are divided and unbalanced. China has roughly the same GDP and CO2 output as all of the other Brics members combined. Hence the dismay when President Xi Jinping declined to attend the talks in Rio this week. His first no-show at a Brics summit was not well explained, prompting speculation that China's enthusiasm for the organisation may have diminished. 'Internal tensions within Brics have increased markedly since 2014,' said Oliver Stuenkel, an associate professor at the School of International Relations at the Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV) in São Paulo. 'And it has become even more difficult since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.' Vladimir Putin only joined virtually, apparently due to the international criminal court warrant for his arrest. Other notable absences were Egypt's president, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and the Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, who was due to attend the summit before the US and Israeli attacks on his country in June and was deputised by his foreign minister. The 31-page Rio de Janeiro declaration, which was issued by the leaders on Sunday, condemned the military strikes on Iran, the attacks on Gaza and tariffs, but the language was relatively muted, and there were also soothing reassurances about the importance of the dollar. Analysts said Brazil does not want to reappear on Trump's tariff radar or to antagonise other countries ahead of Cop30. 'There was a general sense of 'let's keep this as low key as possible,'' Stuenkel said. 'Brazil sees Cop30 as the most important encounter of the year. It has identified climate change as a topic where it can play a leading role.' The Brics bloc sees itself as a voice for the global south, which is suffering disproportionately from the climate crisis. This provides a strong incentive to try to re-engage the wealthier parts of the world in a multilateral approach to a shared problem. The group was credited with a positive role in the Paris agreement 10 years ago. Before the conference, the environmental NGO Greenpeace urged Brics leaders to fill the climate leadership vacuum left by the US. 'This is a seismic opportunity to drive bold, collaborative global south leadership. Brics nations, several of which are among the most climate vulnerable, must seize this moment and take a decisive stand for people and the planet,' said Anna Cárcamo of Greenpeace Brazil. Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion In their declaration, the leaders expressed support for multilateralism to address the climate threat and resolved unity to achieve the goals of the Paris agreement. They called for 'accessible, timely and affordable' climate finance to ensure a just energy transition. And they welcomed Brazil's plans to launch a fund at Cop30 aiming to secure long-term financing for conservation. Who will pay remains vague. 'We encouraged potential donor countries to announce ambitious contributions,' the statement said. Brazil has reportedly asked China and Brics member states in the Middle East to be among the seed funders. But the bulk of the money is expected to come from wealthy northern-hemisphere nations, which are most to blame for the climate crisis. There was also pushback against the EU. The statement lamented what it called 'discriminatory protectionist measures under the pretext of environmental concerns', such as carbon border adjustments and moves to encourage deforestation-free trade – both of which are promoted by the EU. There was no mention of a timetable for phasing out oil, coal and gas. Instead, the statement acknowledged 'fossil fuels will still play an important role in the world's energy mix'. Brics now includes several of the world's biggest oil and gas producers, though it remains behind the G7 – particularly the US, Canada and Australia – when it comes to plans for increased production. Brics leaders appear most united in their frustration at double standards and exclusionary practices. Rewriting the rules of global governance is the central goal of Brazil, which has called for an overhaul of the UN to make it 'more democratic, representative, effective and efficient' and to increase the representation of developing countries in its key decision-making bodies. This has been high on the Brics agenda for many years and partly aligns with recent calls by scientists and civil society groups for a shake-up of UN structures, particularly in the climate process, which was slammed last year as overrun by fossil fuel lobbyists and 'not fit for purpose'. But if this week's summit was any indication, there is little appetite for accountability or transparency inside Brics. On the first day, media access to national delegations was severely restricted. Civil society groups were absent, perhaps deterred by rows of military vehicles equipped with water cannon and hundreds of troops on closed-off streets, carrying assault rifles. Brazil, which has always been a great champion of multilateralism, has papered over cracks inside and outside the conference this week, but it will face a still great chasm at Cop30 in November. Preparatory talks in Bonn last month almost came unstuck over money because the EU and other wealthy nations refused to make up the missing climate funds left by the abandonment of the US. This issue – and the widening of war zones – looks likely to haunt the gathering in Belém, when the global south may be left wondering whether the new world order is an opportunity or an illusion.
