Shafaq News – Beirut (Updated at 11:59 p.m.)

On Tuesday, US Ambassador to Turkiye and Special Envoy to Syria and Lebanon, Tom Barrack, said Lebanon will not be subjected to a second Israeli war.

In statements to Lebanon’s Al Jadeed TV, Barrack revealed that each phase of resolving the Hezbollah weapons issue includes a specific deadline, noting that one of these deadlines is August 1.

The US envoy praised his meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, describing it as exceptional, and warned that “time is running out for everyone, and there is no room for delay.”

He pointed to the existence of an opportunity to reach a solution and agreement among countries in the region.

On the Syrian issue, Barrack said that official Syrian forces did not enter Suwayda and were not responsible for the atrocities committed there, noting that the risks in Syria are high “in the absence of a viable alternative to the current government.”

In separate remarks to Reuters, Barrack urged Syrian transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa to adopt a more inclusive approach following Suwayda violence, warning that without reform, he risks losing international backing and pushing the country toward fragmentation.

"With this Syrian regime, there is no plan B. If this Syrian regime fails, somebody is trying to instigate it to fail," Barrack said. "For what purpose? There's no successor."

While calling on the government to move quickly to integrate minorities into its power structure, he emphasized the need for swift political adaptation, quoting what he believes al-Sharaa must realize: “The right thing for me to do is not to follow my theme, which isn’t working so well.”