Berri accuses Barrack of 'complicating things again' and making proposals 'contrary to what was promised'

BEIRUT — Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri voiced disappointment Wednesday over U.S. envoy Tom Barrack’s visit, as the army prepares to present its plan to disarm militias, including Hezbollah, on Sept. 2.

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In an interview with the pan-Arab media outlet Al-Charq Al-Awsat, Berri said, "The Americans did the opposite of what they had promised us," referring to the awaited response from Israel to the "step-by-step" policy advocated by U.S. envoy Tom Barrack in his statements.

Berri said the U.S. envoy’s stance contradicted his earlier statements, as the delegation demanded Hezbollah's disarmament before any Israeli steps, such as withdrawing from Lebanese land or halting near-daily attacks in the south, despite the cease-fire in place since November 2024.

"The American delegation brought nothing with it from Israel, which complicates things again," Berri said.

Refusing to comment on the next step, Berri simply emphasized that things "were not easy." In response to a question about the upcoming government meeting to consider the army's plan, the head of the legislature said that "anything that leads to strife in the country is to be condemned."

Since the government tasked the Lebanese Army on Aug. 5 to prepare, before the end of the year, a plan to disarm all armed groups, with Hezbollah at the top of the list, supporters of Hezbollah and Amal have been constantly criticizing Nawaf Salam's Cabinet and raising threats of unrest on the local scene.