Barrack lauds Berri as astute politician, hopes for understanding before August

U.S. envoy Tom Barrack who is visiting Lebanon amid ongoing domestic and international pressure for Hezbollah to disarm after a bruising war with Israel, is "hopeful" and "optimistic" as he works to reach an understanding by the beginning of August that would "re-establish" a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement reached in late November.

Barrack said that Hezbollah disarmament is a domestic issue and that his country is committed to try and make a difference in Lebanon by using its influence to implement the ceasefire agreement.

"Hezbollah's disarmament has nothing to do with America, what has to do with us is the border disputes with Israel," Barrack said in an interview late Tuesday with al-Jadeed TV station. He said the U.S. is using its influence "to convince Israel of the believability and credibility and viability of a plan that is already in effect from November."

Barrack met Thursday with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi, after he met on Tuesday and Monday with President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Speaker Nabih Berri and a host of political, religious and financial figures.

"I don't speak to Hezbollah, I'm speaking to the Lebanese government, to the three Presidents. Hezbollah is a part of the Lebanese government, there are 19 factions, they need to agree amongst themselves. I am not a negotiator, I am a mediator," Barrack said, adding that his meeting with Berri was "extraordinary".

Barrack lauded Berri as "one the most astute, thoughtful, considered, brilliant politicians not only in the region but probably in the U.S." "He has eight decades of experience at understanding these very difficult complex situations," he said.

Barrack and Berri did not discuss a new proposal but ways to "reestablish" the already existing ceasefire agreement and to ease tensions in Lebanon. "We discussed the ways to bring back a commonality to the ceasefire agreement and to get to a more durable solution."

The U.S. envoy assured that all Lebanese factions and everybody involved is working towards a peaceful solution and "God willing its moving forward". He said he hopes to reach an understanding by the beginning of August. "The timeline cannot be long," he said. "We are running out of time. We don't have time to have an extended timeline, We are all rushing to get a consensus, a thought, a timeout to bring the temperatures down."

Barrack also confirmed that there won't be another Israeli war on Lebanon. "No one wants war. They don't want war," he said, adding that the Lebanese government has been responsive. "They've done what we've asked, they've been responsive within the timeframes," he said.

Barrack added that there's been endless discussions with Iran on all facts starting with Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and nuclear proliferation. He said what would happen with Iran would definitely affect Lebanon.