New Delhi: On a humid Beirut morning, an American envoy left the Lebanese presidential palace holding a confidential seven-page letter. Tasked by Washington to deal with the Syrian crisis, the man had just received Beirut’s official reply to a proposal – disarm Hezbollah.
The visit came while Israeli warplanes were still bombing what they claimed were Hezbollah targets across southern Lebanon. Civilians had died. A ceasefire signed in November last year was still, technically, in place, but its cracks were showing. The United States wanted Lebanon to act fast. The envoy hinted that time was running out.
Inside Lebanon, the pressure is mounting. Outside, the stakes are higher.
What was the core demand? Hezbollah must pull its fighters back beyond the Litani River and surrender its military assets in the region. But that was not all. Now interpreting the ceasefire deal through a much wider lens, Washington was pushing for Hezbollah to give up all its weapons not just in the south, but everywhere.
Beirut’s response has not been made public. But reports, quoting diplomats with access to the discussions, suggest that Lebanon has asked for something first. They want Israel to vacate every last inch of Lebanese territory it holds from Shebaa Farms to Kfarchouba Hills. The Lebanese state has also reportedly asked for the return of its prisoners, compliance with the United Nations resolution that ended the 2006 war and a halt to Israeli air raids.
The American envoy did not reveal much after his meeting, but called the letter “spectacular”. He hinted that if Lebanon cooperated, like Syria claims it might, help would follow. Possibly in the form of reconstruction funds. Possibly in the form of diplomatic pressure on Israel. But nothing was guaranteed.
Behind this diplomatic choreography lies a much deeper tension. The United States sees Hezbollah as an arm of Iran. Israel views the group as its most dangerous enemy. For decades, Hezbollah has operated with relative freedom in Lebanon – militarily strong, politically entrenched and supported by large sections of the Shia population.
Critics inside Lebanon accuse the group of turning the state into a hostage. Supporters call them a shield against Israeli aggression.
The pressure on Lebanon is not only military. It is financial. The economy is battered. Inflation is brutal. The World Bank estimates the country needs at least $11 billion for post-war recovery. But aid, especially from Western governments, may come with conditions, including disarming Hezbollah. Even Hezbollah, reportedly, is aware of this. Source-based reports say that the group is open to dialogue and aware that many of its own supporters live in homes reduced to rubble.
But disarming Hezbollah is easier said than done. As long as Israel keeps shelling Lebanon or stays inside contested areas, the group insists its weapons stay. They have said it before. They repeated it during a recent religious gathering in Beirut’s southern suburb. For them, laying down arms while the threat remains is not only unthinkable but suicidal.
Meanwhile, Israel continues its strikes. No sign of slowing down. No public commitment to fully honour the ceasefire. And no clear indication that Monday’s talks in Washington between the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the US President Donald Trump even mentioned Lebanon.
Yet something has shifted.
For India, the situation is not just a distant geopolitical subplot. The same region holds key interests. India imports oil through these waters. It has growing stakes in regional stability, especially after joining infrastructure and trade projects connecting the Gulf and the Mediterranean. And India has long maintained troops in Lebanon under the UN peacekeeping umbrella.
If this fragile process collapses, the fallout will not stay local. It will spill into energy prices, maritime routes, refugee flows and broader alignments. It could also impact India’s relations with both Israel and the Arab world.
Washington wants to redraw the lines in West Asia. Caught in the middle, Beirut is asking for sovereignty before surrender. Hezbollah will not back down unless Israel steps back. And Israel shows no intent of doing so without U.S. nudging.
In the background, the old map of power is cracking, but no one yet knows what the new one will look like.
