SHOTLIST:

BEIRUT, LEBANON (AUGUST 26, 2025) (ANADOLU - ACCESS ALL)

1. US SPECIAL ENVOY FOR SYRIA TOM BARRACK SPEAKING AT PRESS CONFERENCE IN BEIRUT
BEIRUT, LEBANON - AUGUST 26, 2025: US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack said on Tuesday that Israel has agreed to withdraw from southern Lebanon if Hezbollah gives up its weapons.

Israel “will withdraw in the same cadence” as Hezbollah disarms itself, Barrack told a press conference in Beirut following his meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.

He said the Lebanese government will present a plan on Aug. 31 to persuade Hezbollah to disarm itself.

Barrack hailed efforts by the Lebanese president, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to reach “a new era of tolerance, a new era of peace, and ultimately prosperity” in Lebanon.

On Aug. 5, the Lebanese government approved a plan to consolidate all weapons under state control. The government tasked the army with drafting a plan to achieve this by the end of the month and executing it before the end of 2025. Hezbollah rejected the decision, calling it a “grave sin.”

Israel launched a military offensive in Lebanon on Oct. 8, 2023, which escalated into a full-scale war by September 2024, killing more than 4,000 people and injuring around 17,000.

A ceasefire was reached in November, but Israeli forces have conducted near-daily attacks in southern Lebanon, claiming to target Hezbollah activities.

Under the truce, Israel was supposed to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by Jan. 26, but the deadline was extended to Feb. 18 after Tel Aviv refused to comply. Israel still maintains a military presence at five border outposts.


- Syria-Lebanon ties

The US envoy said Washington will extend the mission of the UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL in southern Lebanon through the UN “for one year.”

UNIFIL has operated in southern Lebanon since 1978 under UN Security Council Resolution 1701 after the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. Its current mandate expires on Aug. 31, 2025, unless renewed by the Security Council.

Regarding Syria-Lebanon relations, Barrack stressed that Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa “has no interest in having an adversarial relationship with Lebanon in any way.”

The Syrian president is “looking at the historic relationship of hand-in-glove cooperation, of what Lebanon and Syria could be ultimately,” as he is eager to hold discussions to reach a border alignment agreement with Lebanon, Barrack said.

The Lebanese-Syrian border, spanning 375 kilometers (233 miles), features rugged terrain with no clear demarcation in many areas. While six official border crossings exist, the region remains porous, with frequent activity at unauthorized routes.