Hezbollah wants guarantees, US wants disarmament—stalemate deepens amid diverging demands

Report by Bassam Abou Zeid, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

Lebanon is awaiting responses from the United States and Israel to a comprehensive proposal submitted by President Joseph Aoun to U.S. envoy Tom Barrack. The document was delivered in response to an earlier list of American demands.

At the heart of the negotiations lies a key question: What does Washington want from Lebanon—particularly from Hezbollah—and what does Hezbollah want in return?

According to U.S. officials, both Barrack’s proposal and the Lebanese response align in addressing the issue of Hezbollah’s weapons. However, the two sides differ significantly in their approach and timeline.

Washington is not satisfied with a written response from Lebanon. It is demanding a formal government decision committing to the transfer of Hezbollah’s weapons to the Lebanese state within a short timeframe. 

Implementation would coincide with parallel talks aimed at resolving long-standing disputes with Israel, particularly concerning land border issues.

The Lebanese state, in turn, awaits Hezbollah’s response and its conditions before any discussion on disarmament can begin.

Hezbollah’s conditions are clear: Israel must first withdraw from all occupied territories, end assassinations and violations, release detainees and allow reconstruction to begin.

Only then, the group says, can it engage in discussions over its weapons as part of what it refers to as a “defense strategy”—a concept it has so far refused to fully define or enter negotiations over.

The current positions show little sign of tangible convergence. Reports of progress primarily revolve around the issue of “guarantees” that Hezbollah is seeking from Washington—an issue the Presidential Palace is reportedly discussing daily with the U.S. administration.

According to LBCI sources, there is cautious optimism that an understanding could be reached with the United States, potentially linked to a halt in Israeli airstrikes.

Efforts are currently focused on reactivating the ceasefire monitoring committee, with the aim of limiting Israeli attacks.

The United States views this as a step toward rebuilding trust between the parties. However, it falls short of the security guarantees demanded by Lebanon.

According to U.S. sources, such guarantees will not be offered until the issue of Hezbollah’s disarmament is resolved.