Report: US seeking direct talks with Hezbollah

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is seeking to hold direct negotiations with Hezbollah in parallel with Washington’s efforts with the Lebanese state, a Western diplomatic source in Jerusalem said.

The talks would be aimed at “convincing Hezbollah to give up its weapons in return for broad U.S. guarantees,” the source told Kuwait’s al-Jarida newspaper.

“There are efforts to arrange a meeting for U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Trump’s envoy to Syria Tom Barrack, who is currently tasked with Lebanon’s file, or for his assistant, with the head of Hezbollah’s bloc in the Lebanese parliament, Mohammad Raad,” the source added.

“Preparatory meetings between the two sides have already been held in Beirut and officials from a ‘suspended’ Lebanese movement hosted some of those meetings,” the source said, in an apparent reference to al-Mustaqbal Movement.

The Western diplomatic source added that the U.S. side believes that “direct meetings would contribute to resolving the issue of arms, because Hezbollah would more accurately understand the consequences of its refusal to hand over the weapons.”

“The U.S. can also offer guarantees demanded by Hezbollah, including the prevention of assassinations against its leaders and discussing how a part of its fighters can be integrated into the Lebanese Army,” the source added.

“The arrangements for these negotiations took place behind the scenes, which has infuriated Israel and sides in Lebanon that are close to the Lebanese Presidency,” the source said.