A senior U.S. official has called on Lebanon to initiate direct negotiations with Israel as cross-border tensions flare anew nearly a year after a ceasefire was brokered with Hezbollah. Despite the truce reached in November 2024, Israel has maintained troop deployments in five southern Lebanese sectors and continues to conduct routine airstrikes on what it describes as militant infrastructure. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun accused Israel of answering Beirut’s latest overture for dialogue with intensified bombardments. While Lebanon and Israel have occasionally engaged through intermediaries, U.S. envoy Tom Barrack said in an interview with AFP that only direct communication could defuse the cycle of escalation. He acknowledged that Lebanese leaders were “understandably nervous,” given domestic opposition led by Hezbollah, which remains ideologically hostile to Israel despite battlefield losses. Barrack stressed Washington’s willingness to facilitate dialogue and “press Israel to be reasonable,” signaling renewed American mediation in the eastern Mediterranean. U.S. officials have encouraged Beirut to emulate Syria’s emerging security dialogue with Israel, which Washington views as a stabilizing precedent. Analysts say the U.S. push reflects growing concern that localized clashes could unravel the fragile ceasefire and threaten energy infrastructure near the maritime boundary. Hezbollah, weakened militarily yet financially resilient, continues to exert political influence in Lebanon, complicating government calculations. Observers note that Lebanon’s economic collapse and power vacuum make diplomacy both urgent and precarious. For Washington, even exploratory talks could mark a breakthrough, reinforcing its broader Middle East de-escalation strategy while reducing Iran’s leverage over Hezbollah’s decisions.
