The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, known for its alignment with Hezbollah, reports that American envoy Tom Barrack delivered a stark message to Beirut: six conditions that Washington considers the “last opportunity” to prevent a full-scale war with Israel.
According to the report, Barrack told Lebanese officials that they must first recognize reality — the October 27, 2024 ceasefire agreement has completely collapsed. Events on the ground have proven it ineffective, and the US sees no point in further discussions about restoring it.
Second, Barrack demanded that Lebanon enter direct negotiations with Israel under American sponsorship. The Lebanese delegation, he said, must be high-level, publicly mandated, and personally selected by the president if necessary. The era of “technical talks” is over.
Washington also stressed that Lebanon stands to gain far more from direct talks than from mediated ones.
