[Salon] 'Very bad decision': US envoy to Syria threatens Hezbollah against joining Iran–Israel war

[Chas Freeman <cwfresidence@gmail.com>]

https://thecradle.co/articles/very-bad-decision-us-envoy-to-syria-threatens-hezbollah-against-joining-iran-israel-war

'Very bad decision': US envoy to Syria threatens Hezbollah against joining Iran–Israel war

Hezbollah denounced Israeli strikes on Iran and vowed “dire consequences” for threats to Iran’s supreme leader – but stopped short of declaring military intervention

News Desk

Thomas Barrack, the US special envoy to Syria, visited Beirut on 19 June and warned Hezbollah against getting involved in Israel's war on Iran, calling such a move a “very bad decision.”

Following his meeting with Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri, a close ally of Hezbollah, Barrack was asked about the consequences of Hezbollah entering the war.

“I can say on behalf of [US] President [Donald] Trump, which he has been very clear in expressing as has Special Envoy [Steve] Witkoff: that would be a very, very, very bad decision,” Barrack told reporters.

He also met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, where discussions included the issue of the state maintaining exclusive control over weapons.

Hezbollah has condemned Israeli strikes on Iran and expressed full solidarity with Tehran’s leadership. On the same day, the group warned that threats against Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei would have “dire consequences.”

However, Hezbollah has not made explicit threats to intervene. After Israeli strikes on Iran last week, a Hezbollah official told Reuters the group would not launch its own attack on Israel in response.

The group was left severely weakened by last year’s war with Israel, in which its leadership was gutted, thousands of fighters were killed, and strongholds in southern Lebanon and near Beirut were heavily damaged.

A US-brokered ceasefire that ended the war includes a stipulation that the Lebanese government must ensure there are no arms outside state control.

Barrack, a private equity executive and longtime Trump advisor who chaired his 2016 inaugural committee, also serves as US ambassador to Turkiye. He was appointed special envoy to Syria in late May.

US officials have escalated pressure on Lebanon with an ultimatum, urging the government to disarm Hezbollah or face possible military consequences.

Meanwhile, Israel continues to strike Hezbollah’s infrastructure in Lebanon, targeting operatives and military sites as part of a strategy aimed at weakening the group.