US pressures Lebanon to issue cabinet decision to disarm Hezbollah before talks continue

By Maya Gebeily and Laila Bassam

BEIRUT (Reuters) -Washington is ramping up pressure on Beirut to swiftly issue a formal cabinet decision committing to disarm Hezbollah before talks can resume on a halt to Israel’s military operations in Lebanon, five sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Without a public commitment from Lebanese ministers, the U.S. will no longer dispatch U.S. envoy Thomas Barrack to Beirut for negotiations with Lebanese officials, or pressure Israel either to stop…