US Envoy Tom Barrack: Disarming Hezbollah requires a 'carrots and sticks' strategy

U.S. envoy to Beirut Tom Barrack said that implementing a plan to disarm Hezbollah will require a combination of “carrots and sticks.”

In an interview with The New York Times, Barrack explained that the plan he presented to the Lebanese government includes house-to-house weapons inspections by the Lebanese army—an effort that could face resistance from some Shiite communities that have long viewed Hezbollah as a defender of Lebanon and a force of “resistance” against Israel. 

To address these concerns, he said the United States is working to secure financial support from Saudi Arabia and Qatar focused on rebuilding war-damaged areas in southern Lebanon.

“If the Shiite community in Lebanon gets something out of this, they will cooperate,” Barrack said.

In the same interview, Barrack confirmed that the U.S. administration is seeking to bring Syria into the Abraham Accords while acknowledging the internal political sensitivities such a move could pose for Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

He said the U.S. has shifted its approach toward Syria, opting for incremental goals instead of imposing rigid conditions. 

These goals include securing a settlement with Israel, integrating U.S.-backed Kurdish forces, and uncovering the fate of missing Americans from the Syrian conflict.

Barrack emphasized that democratic governance benchmarks would not be a prerequisite at this stage.

Meanwhile, an official Syrian source told The New York Times that talk of signing a peace agreement with Israel is premature.