The US Special Envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, has issued a series of pointed threats to Lebanon, declaring that the country faces existential risks, including collapse or foreign domination, if it does not fully disarm the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon (Hezbollah). His comments, made in an interview with The National on Friday, reflect escalating US pressure on Lebanon to dismantle its national resistance.

"You have 'Israel' on one side, you have Iran on the other, and now you have Syria manifesting itself so quickly that if Lebanon doesn’t move, it’s going to be Bilad Al Sham again," Barrack said, invoking the historic name for Greater Syria, adding that "Syrians say Lebanon is our beach resort. So we need to move."

In language criticized by observers as condescending and overtly interventionist, Barrack positioned the "disarmament" of the Resistance not as a domestic Lebanese decision, but as a prerequisite for US and Gulf financial aid.

Barrack claimed that the United States, alongside Saudi Arabia and Qatar, is prepared to support Lebanon financially, but only if Beirut agrees to a sweeping deal that includes "Hezbollah’s full disarmament" and implementation of economic reforms dictated by external parties.

Last month, he submitted a proposal to Lebanese leaders tying any future reconstruction funds and a halt to Israeli military aggression to the dismantling of the Resistance’s military infrastructure. The plan has been viewed by critics as an attempt to weaponize Lebanon’s economic collapse to force political and military concessions.

While the Resistance has withdrawn its resistance fighters from the front lines in southern Lebanon following a US-brokered ceasefire in November, "Israel" continues to demand the group’s complete disarmament across the country, effectively eliminating Lebanon’s ability to maintain a deterrent force.

Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation forces continue to violate the ceasefire, persisting in their attacks by targeting villages and towns in South Lebanon and the Bekaa region, as well as the Southern Suburb of Beirut, while still occupying five strategic points in the south.

On that note, earlier today, a person was martyred on Saturday after an Israeli drone strike hit a residential home in al-Khiam in southern Lebanon, according to a statement from the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

Lebanese officials push back on US demands

In response, Lebanese officials submitted a seven-page document calling for the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from occupied Lebanese territories, including the Shebaa Farms, reaffirming the state’s sovereignty over arms. However, the document stopped short of endorsing a full national disarmament.

Barrack acknowledged the reply but maintained the US would continue pushing for more: "There are issues that we have to arm wrestle with each other over to come to a final conclusion."

He also criticized what he perceives as Lebanon's history of 'unfulfilled international agreements', saying: "We have an agreement … it was a great agreement. The problem is, nobody followed it."

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Additionally, Barrack dismissed Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s "reluctance to publicly commit to disarmament timelines", attributing it to fear of domestic instability, alleging, "He doesn’t want to start a civil war."

Barrack portrayed the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) as a potential enforcement mechanism for a disarmament plan but noted they are currently "underfunded and ill-equipped".

"We don’t have the soldiers on the ground for the LAF to be able to do that yet, because they don’t have the money. They’re using equipment that’s 60 years old," he remarked.

Barrack suggested that Hezbollah could hand over its heavy weapons, drones, rockets, and missile systems to international depots monitored by the US, France, "Israel," and the LAF. However, he stressed that the Lebanese army cannot enforce such a plan on its own.

Foreign meddling 

Barrack openly lamented what he labeled as the lack of Gulf support for the LAF, alleging donor fatigue due to previous corruption scandals. "Why do the Gulf partners not want to do that? Because they’ve given so much money to Lebanon in the past, that’s gone to the corrupt leaders. So they’re saying, ‘Yeah, we’re done,’" he said.

Despite recognizing corruption as a major challenge, Barrack emphasized that dismantling Hezbollah and restructuring Lebanon’s internal power dynamics must remain the top priority.

"We need to help bolster the LAF," he concluded, adding, "We can do it hand-in-hand with the Gulf countries, hand-in-hand with UNIFIL, as we redefine what their role is on a continued basis."

US envoy’s tone shifts as Lebanon resists pressure to disarm Resistance

These threats stand in stark contrast to Tom Barrack's earlier statements this week. The US Special Envoy to Syria had expressed optimism for peace and prosperity in Lebanon following Beirut’s response to Washington’s proposal on the exclusive possession of weapons.

Barrack’s two-day visit to Beirut aimed to secure Lebanon’s reply to the US proposal, submitted on June 19, which calls for the "disarmament of all non-state actors, primarily Hezbollah, in exchange for "Israel’s" withdrawal from remaining southern border posts, UN-mediated prisoner exchanges, and international reconstruction assistance".

After meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Barrack said: "The Lebanese people now have a real opportunity as the region undergoes shifts and transformations," adding that he was “largely satisfied” with the Lebanese response, describing it as “within the scope” of what Washington is trying to achieve.

He further noted that Lebanon would not be required to adhere to a rigid timeline, as long as it continues to work toward finalizing the agreement’s terms. “We just had an incredibly productive and important meeting,” Barrack said, claiming that in the past, similar opportunities were unattainable. He also asserted that “Israel” is seeking peace with Lebanon.

Regarding ongoing violations of the ceasefire, Barrack stated that the United States bears no responsibility for enforcing the agreement in Lebanon, noting that a designated team has been tasked with monitoring the truce in coordination with UNIFIL.

When asked whether the US would seek to "dissolve Hezbollah" as a political party, Barrack responded: “Do you think the US or France will come to dissolve Hezbollah, a political party in Lebanon? This is a purely Lebanese matter, and it’s up to the Lebanese people to address it.”

Earlier, on June 6, informed sources told Al Mayadeen that Lebanon had not yet finalized its internal deliberations on the US proposal calling for the disarmament of the Lebanese Islamic Resistance. According to those sources, the Lebanese response would reflect a unified national stance based on consultations among the country’s top political leaders.