In a bid to craft a unified stance on U.S. envoy Tom Barrack’s proposal, Lebanese leaders held a series of high-level consultations over the weekend, including meetings between Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, and President Joseph Aoun.

The document presented to Lebanese officials by U.S. envoy Tom Barrack on behalf of the Trump administration focuses on ending the state of conflict with Israel and calls for a clear Lebanese commitment to restoring full state sovereignty and ending the monopoly on arms. According to information obtained by L'Orient Today, the proposal hinges on the Cabinet adopting, within two weeks, a plan to disarm Hezbollah.

If this step is taken, Washington would begin pressuring Israel to withdraw from one of the five remaining points it occupies in southern Lebanon. The process would follow a “step-by-step” approach: with each Israeli withdrawal, the Lebanese army would expand its deployment north of the Litani River. The next stage would address the gradual release of prisoners, followed by a final phase involving land border demarcation and completion of the maritime border.

Barrack, who is expected back in Beirut by mid-July, has also included firm demands on financial and economic reform —particularly restructuring the banking sector and cracking down on the parallel economy that benefits Hezbollah.

Hezbollah sees the proposal as an attempt to strangle it politically and economically — one it will not accept without examining ways to counter it. The document also stresses the need to improve ties with Syria and establish clear control over the Lebanese-Syrian border.

These conditions are likely to face Hezbollah’s opposition. According to informed sources, Lebanon’s official position is still evolving and subject to political negotiations, particularly with Berri, since Hezbollah insists it will not disarm without key guarantees. These include a full Israeli withdrawal, an end to targeted assassinations and attacks, and the start of a credible reconstruction process.

Amendments?

In this context, L’Orient Today has learned from a government source that Berri, has proposed amendments to the American plan, centered on simultaneous steps. The process would still begin with a government declaration affirming its decision to establish a monopoly on arms, in exchange for a gradual Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon. As a third step, Hezbollah would begin handing over its weapons north of the Litani River, coinciding with a full Israeli pullout.

According to a statement from Ain al-Tineh on Saturday, Berri discussed the situation in Lebanon and the broader region with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, in light of Israel’s ongoing ceasefire violations and its latest airstrike on the Nabatieh region. Berri also held talks with Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal to review conditions on the ground, particularly in the South.

Salam emphasized to the Saudi daily Asharq al-Awsat on Saturday that restoring the state's monopoly on weapons is a "necessity" for Lebanese sovereignty, before being a foreign demand. He noted that this objective includes disarming Palestinian camps and Lebanese militias, especially Hezbollah. “Issues of sovereignty and the exclusivity of armament are an urgent national need, even before being an external requirement,” Salam said.

“Lebanon deserves to be a normal state, where peace, stability, and the rule of law prevail for all citizens, and where the state alone ensures their protection and holds the sole authority over defense matters.”

'Without debate on the order of priority'

"We are addressing these ideas based on our own foundations, principles that I also recalled during the last council of ministers meeting [Friday, Editor's Note]. What is required today is the implementation of the agreements reached last November under American and French mediation to end hostilities. This implies an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territories and the cessation of attacks that threaten stability. In parallel, the Lebanese state must fully exercise its sovereignty over the entire territory and be the only one to hold arms and decide on peace or war," he further affirmed.

He added that all these measures must be implemented "without debate on the order of priority" and that "everything must be applied as quickly as possible."

The meeting between Salam and Berri did not lead to a concrete decision. However, according to the Prime Minister, it took place in a "positive, not negative" climate. A new meeting will occur when the legislative leader receives a response from Hezbollah.