US envoy: Hezbollah cannot be eliminated by force alone

The US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, said that dealing with Hezbollah cannot rely solely on military force.

In an interview with FOX NEWS, Barrack stressed that completely eliminating Hezbollah through military operations is unrealistic, given its deep integration into Lebanon’s political and social structure.

He explained that experience in the region shows targeting armed groups only through military means does not fully end them, and may instead lead to their re-emergence in different forms. He added that Hezbollah continues to receive support and funding from Iran, making its survival tied to broader regional factors beyond Lebanon alone.

Barrack said the US objective is not an “open war of attrition”, but rather a gradual weakening of Hezbollah’s military structure, and reducing its missile and logistical capabilities to a level that allows the Lebanese state to restore its security and sovereign role.

He noted that the current approach combines political, economic and operational pressure, alongside support for Lebanese state institutions, in order to produce conditions that reduce the group’s influence without entering a prolonged full-scale confrontation.

He added that any sustainable solution must ultimately strengthen the authority of the Lebanese state across all its territory, making it the sole body capable of holding weapons and exercising force, within a gradual political and security framework.