US Ambassador Michael Issa said that the success of Lebanon-Israel talks depends on other regional developments, particularly negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
US Ambassador Michael Issa met with Sheikh Sami Abou al-Muna, the spiritual leader of the Druze community, and subsequently issued statements linking the Lebanese file to broader regional developments.
Issa said that negotiations concerning the south cannot be separated from negotiations between the United States and Iran, and that problems in the region greatly affect the talks in Lebanon.
Issa affirmed that all Lebanese agree that Hezbollah must surrender its weapons, but the disagreement lies in the mechanism of implementation. He said that Hezbollah must hand over its weapons and the state alone must retain authority.
Issa attributed the impact on negotiations to the continued linking of Hezbollah with Iranian decisions, noting that the party started the war in support of Iran.
Ministerial sources confirmed that Issa's position reflects the position of the US government, and that efforts continue to reach results in Lebanese-Israeli negotiations. They said the eighth round will be held in Rome in September but pending final confirmation of the date.
The ministerial sources acknowledged that the success of negotiations is linked to several factors, including Iranian-American negotiations.
Issa clarified earlier statements he made on Wednesday about Washington's readiness to negotiate with Hezbollah. He said on Thursday that those who understood his statements may have misunderstood them, noting that the channel of communication must be through the Lebanese state.
Issa said that Hezbollah currently does not want to talk with the state or with the United States or with Israel, because it receives orders from Iran.
Issa affirmed that talks with Israel are taking place between the Lebanese state and Israel regardless of Hezbollah's presence or absence, and said that Washington is working to bring the positions of the two sides closer together and is pressing Israel to ease strikes in the south.
Issa said that if matters were resolved between the two states, the question of Hezbollah would remain, and it would be necessary to see the reality of its existence and whether Iran still stands behind the party or changes its position.
