U.S. envoy Tom Barrack has arrived in Beirut for his fourth visit since June, seeking to reinforce a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, days after the Cabinet backed a plan to disarm Hezbollah and other non-state groups.
Barrack landed at Rafik Hariri International Airport on Sunday evening, where he was received by Rodrigue Khoury, deputy chief of protocol at the Foreign Ministry, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported.
He first presented Washington’s 11-point plan in June and returned in July for follow-up discussions. The proposal calls for full implementation of the 1989 Taif Agreement and U.N. Security Council resolutions, including Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war.
It also seeks to extend state sovereignty across Lebanon, ensure weapons are held solely by official forces, and confirm the state’s exclusive authority in decisions of war and peace.
Political reaction
Lebanon’s Cabinet endorsed the objectives 10 days ago, provoking sharp opposition from Hezbollah, which rejected surrendering its arms. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Hezbollah’s position amounted to “a veiled threat of civil war.”
Ceasefire under strain
Cross-border fighting between Israel and Hezbollah began in October 2023 and escalated into full-scale war in September 2024, leaving around 4,000 dead, including Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah, and more than 17,000 wounded.
A ceasefire agreed in November has struggled to hold. Israel was due to withdraw from southern Lebanon by 26 January, later extended to 18 February, but still retains five border outposts. Israeli forces continue near-daily strikes, claiming to target Hezbollah positions.
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An agreement between Iran and the U.S. to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is expected "soon," a U.S. official has said. The deal would result in the resumption of commercial shipping through the sea passage and the lifting of an American naval blockade on Iranian ports.
Flights arriving at Catania airport in eastern Sicily were suspended after volcanic ash from a new eruption of Mount Etna drifted into the airspace around the airport, disrupting operations at one of Italy’s busiest aviation hubs.
A deal on a new route for vessels through the Strait of Hormuz is "very close," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said, while warning that the reopening of the waterway depends on the U.S. meeting other conditions, including paying compensation to Iran.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 9th of August, covering the latest developments.
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Uzbekistan has secured preferential tariffs for fertiliser and petroleum product shipments through Kazakhstan’s Kuryk port to Georgian ports, as Uzbek cargo volumes across the Caspian continue to rise.
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Rising temperatures are threatening Georgia’s farms, energy supply and banking sector, with experts warning that the country has a narrow window to prepare before the economic costs grow significantly.
Pakistan is seeking to strengthen its energy security through a proposed Gulf oil storage scheme, $5 billion in refinery upgrades and renewed offshore exploration with Türkiye as global supply disruptions expose its reliance on imports.
Syria and Russia have signed a memorandum of understanding on the future of Russian bases at Tartous and Hmeimim after 18 months of negotiations, the Syrian foreign ministry said on Sunday.
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