US envoy in Beirut for talks on Hezbollah disarmament as Israel ramps up strikes
FILE PHOTO: 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
BEIRUT - A U.S. envoy met Lebanese officials in Beirut on Monday to discuss a proposed plan to disarm Hezbollah, hours after Israel launched new air strikes and a cross-border ground assault.
The Israeli escalation was seen by Lebanese officials and diplomats as an attempt to ratchet up pressure on Hezbollah, whose leader Naim Qassem said in a televised speech on Sunday that the group still needed arms to defend Lebanon from Israel.
Hezbollah emerged badly damaged from a war with Israel last year that eliminated much of the group's leadership, killed thousands of its fighters and left tens of thousands of its supporters displaced from their destroyed homes.
The group has been under pressure in recent months both within Lebanon and from Washington to completely relinquish its weapons. It is weighing shrinking its arsenal, sources told Reuters last week, without disarming in full.
U.S. 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 the withdrawal of Israeli troops occupying several posts in south Lebanon and a halt to Israeli air strikes.
Lebanon formed a committee to draft a response. Hezbollah was expected to provide its own feedback to its ally, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, to incorporate into a counter-proposal being prepared in time for Barrack's Monday visit.
The group did not make its response public, but two sources familiar with its deliberations said Hezbollah had told Berri it would not discuss giving up any more arms before Israeli troops fully left Lebanon and without guarantees Israel would stop targeting group members.
Hezbollah had already relinquished a number of weapons depots in southern Lebanon to the Lebanese army in line with a U.S.-brokered truce that ended last year's war.
The truce also stipulates that Israeli troops withdraw. Hezbollah has pointed to the troops' continued occupation of at least five posts in southern Lebanon as a main violation. REUTERS
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
39 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Indonesia pledges to buy more US wheat in bid for trade deal
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Indonesia signed a memorandum of understanding for US wheat purchases that spans this year through 2030. JAKARTA – Indonesia, the world's second-biggest wheat buyer, plans to purchase more wheat from the US as it seeks to secure a trade deal ahead of the looming tariff deadline. The South-east Asian nation signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for US wheat purchases that spans this year through 2030, Mr Franciscus Welirang, the chairman of the Indonesian Flour Mills Association – known as Aptindo – said at a ceremony on July 7 in Jakarta. The deal is valued at about US$1.25 billion (S$1.6 billion) , he said. As part of the MOU, Indonesia may buy at least 800,000 tons of wheat from the US this year, up from 740,000 tons in 2024, and a minimum of 1 million tons annually from 2026, he said. The US last sold more than 1 million tons of wheat to Indonesia in 2020, when it shipped about 1.2 million tons, US Department of Agriculture (USDA) figures show. While the new pledge marks an increase, it still represents a fraction of Indonesia's total wheat purchases. The USDA forecasts the country's imports at 12 million tons in the 2025 to 2026 season. The agreement will increase access for US wheat in Indonesia and help ensure a stable and steady market, Mr Joe Sowers, regional vice-president for South and South-east Asia for industry group US Wheat Associates, said after the signing in Jakarta. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. World 25% on Japan and Malaysia, 40% on Laos: Trump's tariff letters to Asia add pressure for deals by Aug 1 Business US stocks knocked lower by tariff jitters; Musk's political plan hits Tesla World Netanyahu says has nominated Trump for Nobel Peace Prize Singapore Fastest charger to be added to Singapore's EV charging network by Q4 in 2025 Singapore Singapore's second mufti Sheikh Syed Isa Semait dies at age 87 Singapore Fewer marriages in Singapore in 2024; greater marital stability for recent unions Singapore Competition watchdog gives SIA, Malaysia Airlines conditional approval to continue cooperation Singapore Eligible S'poreans to get up to $850 in GSTV cash, up to $450 in MediSave top-ups in August Seven major wheat suppliers, including Cargill and Bunge Global SA, will participate in the market based on their price competitiveness, he said. The nation mainly buys wheat from Australia, Canada and the US, Mr Welirang said, adding that the country may import about 9.5 million tons for the flour industry this year and the rest for feed. Indonesia also plans to sign similar pledges to boost purchases of other commodities, including corn and soybeans, at an event on July 7 in Washington, according to Mr Pujo Setio, an official from the nation's Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs. BLOOMBERG
Straits Times
41 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Trump says he would love to remove Iran sanctions at the right time
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Mr Donald Trump said a recent move to remove US sanctions on Syria would help that country move forward, and he hoped a similar move could happen for Iran. WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump on July 7 said he would love to remove tough US sanctions on Iran at the right time. Mr Trump, speaking to reporters at the start of a dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said a recent move to remove US sanctions on Syria would help that country move forward, and he hoped a similar move could happen for Iran. 'I would love to be able to, at the right time, take those sanctions off, give them a chance at rebuilding, because I'd like to see Iran build itself back up in a peaceful manner, and not going around saying, 'death to America,' 'death to the USA,' 'death to Israel,' as they were doing,' he said. REUTERS
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Trump says US will send more weapons to Ukraine
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox US President Donald Trump (right) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in The Hague on June 25. WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump on July 8 said the United States will send additional weapons to Ukraine, after the White House announced a halt to some arms shipments for Kyiv the previous week. 'We're going to have to send more weapons – defensive weapons primarily,' he told journalists at the White House. 'They're getting hit very, very hard,' he said of Ukraine, while saying he is 'not happy' with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Mr Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Russia's smaller neighbour in 2022 and has shown little willingness to end the conflict despite pressure from Mr Trump. Ukraine is contending with some of Russia's largest missile and drone attacks of the three-year war, and a halt to the provision of munitions posed a potentially serious challenge for Kyiv. Under former president Joe Biden, Washington committed to providing more than US$65 billion in military assistance to Ukraine. But Mr Trump – long sceptical of assistance for Ukraine – has not followed suit, announcing no new military aid packages for Kyiv since he took office in January of this year. AFP
