Washington cannot "force" Israel to do anything. This was stated by the US special envoy in Beirut - Thomas Barak, and the reason for his statement is Lebanon's demands that the United States guarantee a halt to Israeli strikes on Lebanese territory, "Reuters" reported.
After meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, the US envoy stressed that the US "has no business trying to force Israel to do anything".
He also added that the US is not forcing Lebanon to deprive "Hezbollah" of weapons, nor are they considering sanctions against the Lebanese authorities if "Hezbollah" is not disarmed. "There are no consequences, no threats, no punishment", Barak said.
Last month, the United States offered a roadmap to senior Lebanese officials for the complete disarmament of "Hezbollah" within four months, in exchange for a halt to Israeli strikes and the withdrawal of Israeli troops still occupying positions in southern Lebanon.
For its part, Beirut has asked Washington to guarantee that Israel will withdraw its troops completely and stop operations against members of "Hezbollah" if the armed group begins handing over weapons.