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3. Lebanon Submits Demands as Barrack Warns Against Proxy Conflict

US presidential envoy Thomas Barrack is expected to brief President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Lebanon’s proposed roadmap for a comprehensive resolution to its internal crisis, submitted to him by President Joseph Aoun.

According to sources familiar with the visit, Barrack found that the core conclusions of the Lebanese document closely align with Washington’s priorities, most notably the disarmament of Hezbollah and the dismantling of its military and security apparatus.

However, the same sources emphasized that the real obstacle lies in implementation. Hezbollah remains firmly opposed to relinquishing its weapons, reiterating, since the 2006 war with Israel, that any discussion must be framed within a “national defense strategy.”

Sources indicate that the Lebanese proposal does not clarify how Hezbollah’s disarmament would be carried out given the group’s steadfast refusal, nor does it establish a timeline for this process.

While the proposal endorses a “step-for-step” approach, Hezbollah rejects this principle outright. The party’s Secretary-General, Naim Qassem, has set a series of preconditions that must be met before any discussion of a defense strategy can begin. Disarmament itself remains off the table.

These demands include a full Israeli withdrawal from occupied territories, an end to airstrikes, assassinations and border violations, the release of prisoners, resolution of disputes along the Blue Line and the initiation of reconstruction efforts.

This stance sharply contrasts with the American position. US officials view Barrack’s upcoming return to Beirut, with official feedback on the Lebanese proposal, as a final opportunity for the Lebanese government to present a clear, unambiguous implementation plan.

At the heart of that plan, Washington expects a formal cabinet decision recognizing Hezbollah as an armed militia and initiating its transformation into a licensed political party, with full disarmament within a defined timeframe.

“The message will be clear,” a source said. “Barrack will return with Washington’s answer. If Lebanon fails to respond decisively, it will be left to its fate as a battleground in the escalating Israeli-Iranian conflict.”