US envoy says satisfied with Lebanese response on disarming of Hezbollah
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
Lebanese leaders who took office in the aftermath of more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah have vowed a state monopoly on bearing arms, while demanding Israel comply with a November ceasefire.
Israel has kept up strikes on Lebanon and warned it will continue to do so until Hezbollah has been disarmed, while the movement's leader Naim Qassem said Sunday his group would not surrender or lay down its weapons in response to Israeli threats.
"I'm unbelievably satisfied with the response," Barrack, Washington's ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria, told a press conference after meeting President Joseph Aoun.
"It's thoughtful, it's considered. We're creating a go-forward plan," he said.
"Now what it takes is a... thrust to the details, which we're going to do. We're both committed to get to the details and get a resolution," he said, adding: "I'm very, very hopeful."
Last month, Barrack asked Lebanese leaders to formally commit to disarming Hezbollah, the only group that retained its weapons after Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war, doing so in the name of "resistance" against Israel which occupied southern Lebanon at the time.
Hezbollah was heavily weakened in the latest conflict, with Israel battering the group's arsenal of missiles and rockets and killing senior commanders including longtime chief Hassan Nasrallah.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
-
'Future for them' -
The presidency said on X that Aoun handed Barrack "ideas for a comprehensive solution".
Parliament speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally, said his own meeting with Barrack was constructive and "considered Lebanon's interest and sovereignty... and the demands of Hezbollah", according to a statement.
Barrack said that Hezbollah "needs to see that there's a future for them, that that road is not harnessed just solely against them."
He warned that "the rest of the region is moving at Mach speed, and you will be left behind", adding that "dialogue has started between Syria and Israel, just as the dialogue needs to be reinvented by Lebanon."
On Friday, Syria said it was willing to cooperate with the United States to reimplement a 1974 disengagement agreement with Israel, nearly seven months after Islamists ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad, a Hezbollah ally who was also backed by Iran.
Syria has also admitted to holding indirect talks with Israel to reduce tensions.
A Lebanese official told AFP on condition of anonymity that late last week, Beirut submitted an initial response to Washington, which requested modifications, then officials worked through the weekend to develop the final version.
- Strikes -
Under the ceasefire, Hezbollah was to pull its fighters back north of the Litani river, some 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the Israeli frontier.
Israel was to withdraw its troops from Lebanon, but has kept them deployed in five areas that it deemed strategic.
The truce was based on a United Nations Security Council resolution that says only Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers should bear arms in south Lebanon, and calls for the disarmament of all non-state groups.
Lebanese authorities say they have been dismantling Hezbollah's military infrastructure in the south near the Israeli border.
Late Sunday, the Israeli military said raids in south and east Lebanon targeted Hezbollah military sites and weapons systems.
Lebanon's health ministry said Monday those strikes wounded 10 people in the country's south.
Hezbollah's Qassem said Sunday that Israel needed to abide by the ceasefire agreement, "withdraw from the occupied territories, stop its aggression... release the prisoners" detained during last year's war, and that reconstruction in Lebanon must begin.
Only then "will we be ready for the second stage, which is to discuss the national security and defence strategy" which includes the issue of the group's disarmament, he added.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scroll.in
an hour ago
- Scroll.in
Israeli PM nominates Donald Trump for Nobel Peace Prize
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday told United States President Donald Trump that he had nominated him for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, Reuters reported. Netanyahu personally handed Trump the nomination letter when the two met at the White House. 'He's forging peace as we speak, one country and one region after the other,' Netanyahu was quoted as saying by AP as he presented the letter. Trump said in response to the announcement that the nomination was a great honour. 'Coming from you in particular, this is very meaningful,' he told Netanyahu. #WATCH | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nominates US President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize PM Netanyahu says, "I want to present to you, Mr President, the letter I sent to the Nobel Prize Committee. It's nominating you for the Peace Prize, which is well… — ANI (@ANI) July 7, 2025 The two leaders met on Monday to discuss last month's conflict between Israel and Iran, and to take forward a proposal for a 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza. Israel and Iran agreed to a ceasefire on June 24 after 12 days of hostilities that saw Israel and the United States attack Iran and face Iranian retaliation. The US had entered the war on June 22, carrying out attacks on the nuclear sites of Fordo, Natanz and Esfahan in Iran. On July 1, Trump said that Israel had agreed to the 'necessary conditions' to finalise a 60-day ceasefire with Hamas. He had said that during this period, 'we will work with all parties to end the War'. Apart from claiming a role in putting a stop to conflicts in Iran and Gaza, Trump has also repeatedly claimed that he helped settle tensions between India and Pakistan following a four-day conflict in May. India, however, maintained that the decision to stop hostilities was taken by the two countries directly. In June, Trump had said that he should get the Nobel Prize 'four or five times', claiming that he helped end several global conflicts around the world. "They should give me the Nobel Prize for Rwanda and, if you look, the Congo, or you could say Serbia, Kosovo, you could say a lot of them,' he said, according to Fox News. 'The big one is India and Pakistan. I should have gotten it four or five times.' The winner of the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize is expected to be announced in October 2026.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
U.S. President Donald Trump says new tariff deadline ‘not 100% firm'
U.S. President Donald Trump reignited his trade war by threatening more than a dozen countries with higher tariffs on Monday (July 7, 20250 — but then said he may be flexible on his new August deadline to reach deals. Mr Trump sent letters to trading partners including key U.S. allies Japan and South Korea, announcing that duties he had suspended in April would snap back even more steeply in three weeks. Tokyo and Seoul would be hit with 25% tariffs on their goods, he wrote. Countries including Indonesia, Bangladesh, Thailand, South Africa and Malaysia were slapped with duties ranging from 25% to 40%. But in a move that will cause fresh uncertainty in a global economy already unsettled by his tariffs, the 79-year-old once again left the countries room to negotiate a deal. 'I would say firm, but not 100% firm,' Mr. Trump told reporters at a dinner with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when asked if August 1 deadline was firm. Pressed on whether the letters were his final offer, Mr. Trump replied: 'I would say final — but if they call with a different offer, and I like it, then we'll do it.' The U.S. president had unveiled sweeping tariffs on imports on what he called 'Liberation Day' on April 2, including a baseline 10% tariff on all countries. But he quickly suspended all tariffs above 10% for 90 days following turmoil in the markets. They were due to kick back in on Wednesday and Mr. Trump sent the letters in advance of that deadline. Mr. Trump's near-identically worded letters to Japanese and South Korean leaders said he would impose 25% tariffs as their trading relationships with Washington were 'unfortunately, far from Reciprocal.' Trump Claims He Stopped India-Pakistan War, Eyes Trade Deal He warned of further escalation if there was retaliation against the levies. But Mr. Trump on Monday also signed an order formally extending the Wednesday deadline, postponing it to August 1. 'President prerogative' The new August date effectively marks a further delay — and Mr. Trump's latest comments threaten to compound the uncertainty over when the deadline really is. According to letters posted to Mr. Trump's Truth Social platform, products from Indonesia will face a 32% tariff, while the level for Bangladesh is 35% and Thailand, 36%. Most countries receiving letters so far had duties similar or unchanged from rates threatened in April, although some like Laos and Cambodia saw notably lower levels. The Trump administration is under pressure to show results after promising '90 deals in 90 days.' So far only two firm deals have emerged, with Britain and Vietnam, plus an agreement to dial back super-high tit-for-tat tariffs with China. Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said at a cabinet meeting Monday that the announcement of the 25 percent tariffs is 'genuinely regrettable,' local media reported. South Korea's National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac meanwhile met with his US counterpart Marco Rubio in Washington, expressing hope that a bilateral summit could soon be held to achieve 'mutually beneficial outcomes across key pending issues.' Asked why Trump opted to start with Japan and South Korea, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said: 'It's the president's prerogative, and those are the countries he chose.' Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said Tuesday he wanted a 'better deal' than the 36 percent tariff Trump threatened to impose, adding: 'The most important thing is that we maintain good relations with the US.' Malaysia said it was 'committed to continuing engagement with the US towards a balanced, mutually beneficial, and comprehensive trade agreement,' its trade ministry said in a statement, after Washington imposed a 25 percent tariff on the Southeast Asian nation. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that there would be more deals coming up: 'We are going to have several announcements in the next 48 hours.' Major U.S. stock indexes fell from records Monday on Mr. Trump's fresh threats. The Nasdaq tumbled 0.9% and the S&P 500 lost 0.8 percent. Trump has also threatened an extra 10% tariff on countries aligning themselves with the emerging BRICS nations, accusing them of 'Anti-American policies' after they slammed his duties at a summit. But partners are still rushing to avert Trump's tariffs altogether. The European Commission said EU chief Ursula von der Leyen had a 'good exchange' with Trump on trade when the pair spoke Sunday.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Donald Trump says new tariff deadline 'not 100 percent firm'
US President Donald Trump reignited his trade war by threatening more than a dozen countries with higher tariffs Monday, but then said he may be flexible on his new August deadline to reach deals. Trump sent letters to trading partners including key US allies Japan and South Korea, announcing that duties he had suspended in April would snap back even more steeply in three weeks. Tokyo and Seoul would be hit with 25 percent tariffs on their goods, he wrote. Countries including Indonesia, Bangladesh, Thailand, South Africa and Malaysia were slapped with duties ranging from 25 percent to 40 percent. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Jesus' Tomb Is Opened And Scientists Find Something Unbelievable Novelodge Undo But in a move that will cause fresh uncertainty in a global economy already unsettled by his tariffs, the 79-year-old once again left the countries room to negotiate a deal. "I would say firm, but not 100 percent firm," Trump told reporters at a dinner with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when asked if August 1 deadline was firm. Live Events Pressed on whether the letters were his final offer, Trump replied: "I would say final, but if they call with a different offer, and I like it, then we'll do it." The US president had unveiled sweeping tariffs on imports on what he called "Liberation Day" on April 2, including a baseline 10 percent tariff on all countries. But he quickly suspended all tariffs above 10 percent for 90 days following turmoil in the markets. They were due to kick back in on Wednesday and Trump sent the letters in advance of that deadline. Trump's near-identically worded letters to Japanese and South Korean leaders said he would impose 25 percent tariffs as their trading relationships with Washington were "unfortunately, far from Reciprocal." He warned of further escalation if there was retaliation against the levies. But Trump on Monday also signed an order formally extending the Wednesday deadline, postponing it to August 1. 'President's prerogative' The new August date effectively marks a further delay, and Trump's latest comments threaten to compound the uncertainty over when the deadline really is. According to letters posted to Trump's Truth Social platform, products from Indonesia will face a 32 percent tariff, while the level for Bangladesh is 35 percent and Thailand, 36 percent. Most countries receiving letters so far had duties similar or unchanged from rates threatened in April, although some like Laos and Cambodia saw notably lower levels. The Trump administration is under pressure to show results after promising "90 deals in 90 days." So far only two firm deals have emerged, with Britain and Vietnam, plus an agreement to dial back super-high tit-for-tat tariffs with China. Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said at a cabinet meeting Monday that the announcement of the 25 percent tariffs is "genuinely regrettable," local media reported. South Korea's National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac meanwhile met with his US counterpart Marco Rubio in Washington, expressing hope that a bilateral summit could soon be held to achieve "mutually beneficial outcomes across key pending issues." Asked why Trump opted to start with Japan and South Korea, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said: "It's the president's prerogative, and those are the countries he chose." Thailand's acting prime minister Phumtham Wechayachai said Tuesday he wanted a "better deal" than the 36 percent tariff Trump threatened to impose, adding: "The most important thing is that we maintain good relations with the US." Malaysia said it was "committed to continuing engagement with the US towards a balanced, mutually beneficial, and comprehensive trade agreement," its trade ministry said in a statement, after Washington imposed a 25 percent tariff on the Southeast Asian nation. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that there would be more deals coming up: "We are going to have several announcements in the next 48 hours." Major US stock indexes fell from records Monday on Trump's fresh threats. The Nasdaq tumbled 0.9 percent and the S&P 500 lost 0.8 percent. Trump has also threatened an extra 10 percent tariff on countries aligning themselves with the emerging BRICS nations , accusing them of "Anti-American policies" after they slammed his duties at a summit. But partners are still rushing to avert Trump's tariffs altogether. The European Commission said EU chief Ursula von der Leyen had a "good exchange" with Trump on trade when the pair spoke Sunday.
