US calls on Lebanon to accelerate disarmament of Hezbollah, reform agenda
'We need the Lebanese state to do more to fully remove all weapons and, infrastructure from Hezbollah and non-state actors across the country,' a State Department spokesperson said.
US Special Envoy for Syria and Ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, met with top Lebanese officials in Beirut on Tuesday, where he discussed a roadmap for implementing economic reforms and eliminating Hezbollah's arsenal.
Barrack said he was satisfied with the responses received from Lebanese officials.
'We don't want to see Hezbollah, or any other terrorist group in Lebanon, recover their ability to commit violence and threaten security in Lebanon or Israel,' the State Department official said.
Under a ceasefire agreement reached last November to the end the war between Hezbollah and Israel, the Iran-backed group was to withdraw its fighters north of the Litani River while Israel pulled out of southern Lebanon. Yet Hezbollah says it will not discuss its remaining weapons until the Israeli occupation of five border points ends. Both sides accuse the other of violating the truce.
Washington maintains that Hezbollah must fully disarm and dismantle its military infrastructure throughout Lebanon, not just the south. And in recent weeks, the Lebanese government made a decision to enter and demilitarize Palestinian refugee camps, long governed by the 1969 Cairo Agreement.
But the US says Lebanon's efforts cannot be limited to the security front.
The official stressed the need for urgent economic and judicial reforms to restore financial stability and international confidence. 'Parliament must act quickly to pass bank resolution legislation and independence of the judiciary legislation,' the spokesperson said.
'As Ambassador Barrack said while in Beirut, Lebanon must utilize this moment to make progress,' the official told Al Arabiya English.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
Pakistani minister calls Israel ‘illegal state,' rules out recognition
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Minister for Religious Affairs, Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, on Thursday ruled out any possibility of recognizing Israel, calling it an 'illegal state' during a meeting with Palestinian envoy Dr. Zuhair Muhammad Hamdallah Zaid, as he reaffirmed his country's longstanding position on the issue. The comments come amid a debate on social media over whether Pakistan might be moving closer to joining the Abraham Accords, a US-brokered framework that has seen several Muslim-majority countries normalize relations with Israel since 2020. The speculation was stirred in the wake of the recent high-level engagements between Pakistani officials and members of US President Donald Trump's administration. 'There has never been, and will never be, any recognition of Israel,' Yousaf said during the meeting, according to a statement by the religious affairs ministry. 'Israel is an illegal state, and Pakistan has always condemned its oppression of the innocent Palestinian people.' Pakistan has continued its vocal criticism of Israeli policies in recent weeks, especially in light of Tel Aviv's military operations in Gaza and recent clash with Iran. 'We are deeply wounded by the bombings on defenseless civilians, especially children and women, in Gaza,' the Pakistani minister continued, adding that his country would 'continue to raise its voice to awaken the conscience of the international community.' Yousaf also called for the Palestinian issue to remain a top priority on the agenda of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Ambassador Zaid praised Islamabad's 'consistent and selfless' support and noted that many Palestinians serving in key positions had studied in Pakistan. He reiterated the Palestinian people's resolve to 'sacrifice their lives, wealth and families' for the liberation of their land from Israeli occupation. He informed that Dr. Mahmoud Al-Habbash, adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, was expected to visit Pakistan soon, accompanied by the imam of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
What to know as Yemen's Houthi rebels launch new, more violent attacks on ships in the Red Sea
DUBAI: In just days, Yemen's Houthi rebels have begun a new, more violent campaign of attacks targeting ships in the Red Sea, sinking two of them and killing some of their assaults represent the latest chapter of the rebels' campaign against shipping over the Israel-Hamas war. They also come as Yemen's nearly decadelong war drags on in the Arab world's poorest country, without any sign of what to know about the Houthis, Yemen and their ongoing involved in years of fightingThe Houthis are members of Islam's minority Shiite Zaydi sect, which ruled Yemen for 1,000 years until 1962. They battled Yemen's central government for years before sweeping down from their northern stronghold in Yemen and seizing the capital, Sanaa, in 2014. That launched a grinding war still technically being waged in the country today. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 to try to restore Yemen's exiled, internationally recognized government to of bloody, inconclusive fighting against the Saudi-led coalition settled into a stalemated proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, causing widespread hunger and misery in Yemen, the Arab world's poorest country. The war has killed more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, and created one of the world's worst humanitarian disasters, killing tens of thousands more.A ceasefire that technically ended in October 2022 is still largely being honored. Saudi Arabia and the rebels have done some prisoner swaps, and a Houthi delegation was invited to high-level peace talks in Riyadh in September 2023 as part of a wider détente the kingdom has reached with Iran. While they reported 'positive results,' there is still no permanent supported by Tehran while raising own profileIran long has backed the Houthis. Tehran routinely denies arming the rebels, despite physical evidence, numerous seizures and experts tying the weapons back to Iran. That's likely because Tehran wants to avoid sanctions for violating a United Nations arms embargo on the Houthis now form the strongest group within Iran's self-described 'Axis of Resistance.' Others like Lebanon's Hezbollah and the Palestinian militant group Hamas have been decimated by Israel after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas that sparked Israel's war of attrition in the Gaza also is reeling after Israel launched a 12-day war against the country and the US struck Iranian nuclear Houthis also have seen their regional profile raise as they have attacked Israel, as many in the Arab world remain incensed by the suffering Palestinians in the Gaza Strip attack ships over Israel-Hamas warThe Houthis have been launching missile and drone attacks against commercial and military ships in the region in what the group's leadership has described as an effort to end Israel's offensive against Hamas in the Gaza November 2023 and December 2024, the Houthis targeted more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two and killing four sailors. Their campaign has greatly reduced the flow of trade through the Red Sea corridor, which typically sees $1 trillion of goods move through it last Houthi attack, targeting US warships escorting commercial ships, happened in early December. A ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war began in January and held until March. The US then launched a broad assault against the rebels that ended weeks later when Trump said the rebels pledged to stop attacking then, the Houthis have continued occasional missile attacks targeting Israel, but they hadn't attacked ships until this past weekend. Shipping through the Red Sea, while still lower than normal, had increased in recent attacks raise level of violence and complexityThe attacks on the two ships, the Magic Seas and the Eternity C, represent a new level of violence being employed by the have referred to the assaults as being complex in nature, involving armed rebels first racing out to the vessels in the Red Sea, firing small arms and rocket-propelled grenades. They then have used anti-ship missiles and both aerial and sea drones loaded with explosives to attack the coordinated attack sank two vessels in just a matter of days, doubling the number of ships they have sunk. There also is a growing fear the attack on the Eternity C may have been the rebels' deadliest at sea as crew members remain attacks also signal that Israeli and American airstrikes have not stripped the rebels of their ability to launch ships have few defense optionsFor the Houthis, attacking commercial ships remains far easier than targeting warships as those vessels don't have air defense systems. Instead, some carry a few armed guards able to shoot at attackers or approaching drones. Downing a drone remains difficult and shooting down a missile is impossible with their guards also typically are more trained for dealing with piracy and will spray fire hoses at approaching small boats or ring a bridge with cyclone wire to stop attackers from climbing aboard. The Houthis, however, have experience doing helicopter-borne assaults and likely could overwhelm a private security detail, which often is just a three-member team aboard a commercial attacks have international and domestic motivesTo hear it from the Houthis, the new attack campaign 'represents a qualitative shift in the course of the open battle in support of Gaza.' Their SABA news agency said Israel commits 'daily massacres against civilians in Gaza and relies on sea lanes to finance its aggression and maintain its siege.''This stance, which is not content with condemnation or statements, is also advancing with direct military action, in a clear effort to support the Palestinians on various fronts,' the rebels the rebels stopped their attacks in late December as Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire. The Houthis formally suspended their attacks, though they said ships or companies calling on Israeli ports would remain possible rebels also may have reconstituted their forces following the grinding American airstrikes that targeted them. They have not acknowledged their materiel losses from the attacks, though the US has said it dropped more than 2,000 munitions on more than 1,000 likely is an international and domestic consideration, as well. Abroad, a new possible ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war — as well as the future of talks between the US and Iran over Tehran's battered nuclear program — remain in the balance. The Houthis in the past have been a cudgel used by Tehran, though experts debate just how much influence Tehran wields in picking targets for the home, the Houthis have faced growing discontent over their rule as Yemen's economy is in tatters and they have waged a campaign of detaining of UN officials and aid workers. Resuming their attacks can provide the Houthis something to show those at home to bolster their control.
Asharq Al-Awsat
2 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Tehran Hints 360 Soldiers Killed in 12-Day War with Israel
Iranian Health Minister Mohammad-Reza Zafarghandi on Wednesday said close to 700 civilians were killed in Israeli attacks on Iran during the 12-day war that started on June 13. His statements came two days after Saeed Ohadi, head of Iran's Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs said the attacks killed over 1060 Iranians, indirectly hinting that at least 360 soldiers have been confirmed dead. During a visit to a Tehran medical center, Zafarghandi said nearly 5,000 civilians were wounded in the Israeli attacks. Checking on a 5-year-old Kian Ghasemian - a burn victim whose family was killed in the attacks - Zafarghandi described the Israeli strikes as 'a savage and unjustifiable assault on defenseless people.' The Minister said 18 members of medical staff, including six physicians, were among those killed in the airstrikes. Zafarghandi noted that seven hospitals were directly targeted by Israel, and a number of medical centers were evacuated due to emergency circumstances. Also, 'Israel also hit 11 ambulances,' he said, adding all those Israeli actions were in violation of international principles, laws and human rights. The minister's new figures came shortly after Iran's government has issued a death toll for its war with Israel, saying at least 1,060 people were killed and warning that the figure could rise. Ohadi gave the figure in an interview aired by Iranian state television late Monday. Figures show that around 360 soldiers were killed in the attacks, including 40 high-ranking leaders from the Revolutionary Guard. During the war, Iran downplayed the effects of Israel's 12-day bombardment of the country, which decimated its air defenses, destroyed military sites and damaged its nuclear facilities. Since a ceasefire took hold, Iran slowly has been acknowledging the breadth of the destruction, though it still has not said how much military materiel it lost. The Washington-based Human Rights Activists group, which has provided detailed casualty figures from multiple rounds of unrest in Iran, has said 1,190 people were killed, including 436 civilians and 435 security force members. The attacks wounded another 4,475 people, the group said.
