US envoy Tom Barrack has vented the Trump administration's frustration with Lebanon and its failure to disarm Hezbollah, but said the group had "zero" incentive to lay down their weapons when they are under fire from Israel.
In the months since Israel assassinated long-time Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, the Trump administration has been pushing Lebanon to take advantage of the militia’s weakness.
American diplomats have pressed Lebanon’s armed forces to take the lead on Hezbollah disarmament following the election of President Joseph Aoun, but the US special envoy to Syria said they have so far failed to make any significant moves to do so.
“I would say the Lebanese, and I don't mean this in a disrespectful way, all they do is talk,” Mr Barrack told On the Record with Hadley Gamble.
“Hezbollah is our enemy. Iran is our enemy,” he said.
“We need to cut the heads off those snakes and chop the flow of funds. That's the only way you're going to stop Hezbollah.”
Speaking before the United Nations General Assembly, Mr Barrack warned that the White House’s patience is running thin.
“I know this is a difficult decision. I know they don't want a civil war. There's not going be a civil war,” Mr Barrack claimed.
“Hezbollah is at the lowest point in history that they’ve ever been. We'll help them, but if they don't want to help themselves, this President's not going to waste his time and effort.”
The ambassador’s remarks were made as US intelligence reports suggest the Iranian-backed group is rebuilding, adding a renewed sense of urgency to the administration’s pleas that the Lebanese government take action.
