The United States has dismissed a proposal by Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri that sought to link Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanese territory and its compliance with the November ceasefire to the start of government-led negotiations with Hezbollah over its disarmament, Lebanese political and government sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Though no formal written rejection has been issued, Lebanese officials say that direct communications with U.S. diplomats, coupled with recent public statements by U.S. envoy Thomas Barrack, made Washington’s position unmistakably clear. According to the sources, the U.S. rejected the sequencing suggested in Berri’s initiative and reiterated that Lebanon must first commit, through a government decision, to the exclusive right of the state to possess and control arms within its territory.

The proposal, delivered by Berri during Barrack’s latest visit to Beirut, would have required Israel to halt its ceasefire violations and begin a phased withdrawal from territories it has occupied since the last conflict. In exchange, Hezbollah would participate in a cabinet session and initiate concrete steps toward disarmament, under a “step-by-step” model involving reciprocal measures from both sides.

However, U.S. officials insist that the Lebanese government must begin by formally adopting a framework for state monopoly over weapons, which is a non-negotiable starting point for Washington. Hezbollah, on the other hand, has refused to take any practical disarmament steps unless Israel first implements its own ceasefire obligations.

Government insiders said Washington’s reaction is part of a broader strategy of pressuring Beirut to convene a cabinet meeting that would ratify mechanisms to enforce exclusive state control over arms.

“The Americans are no longer willing to entertain sequencing that delays Hezbollah’s disarmament,” one source said.

Despite the rejection, diplomatic contacts have not been severed. According to both parliamentary and government sources, talks continue between envoys representing President Joseph Aoun, Speaker Berri, and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. Lebanon and the United States are also maintaining regular communication in a bid to avoid further escalation, particularly amid growing fears of renewed Israeli military action in southern Lebanon.

“The picture is not entirely bleak,” one parliamentary source said. “Talks are still underway, and there is room for compromise in the national interest.”

Sources also pointed out that Lebanon has made tangible progress on a number of reform benchmarks outlined in the U.S. position paper, including steps toward financial and administrative restructuring and anti-corruption efforts, which Washington views as essential to broader stabilization efforts.

Hezbollah, meanwhile, continues to demand that Israel immediately cease its violations of the ceasefire agreement and seeks formal guarantees on future compliance. The group has also renewed calls for a national defense strategy and the launch of a reconstruction process that would facilitate the return of displaced residents to southern Lebanon.

Party officials say these demands have become even more urgent in light of developments in Syria’s Suwayda province, warning that Lebanon’s long-term stability requires a defined mechanism for defending its territory.

“Hezbollah is asking for a strategic framework, not just tactical assurances,” one source familiar with the discussions said.