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.

Hezbollah’s Naim Qassem warns of an existential threat to Lebanon, rejecting US-Israeli demands to disarm and urging full Israeli withdrawal.

Following Israel's aggressive assault – its most deadly since the 2006 war – Hezbollah's leadership and financial infrastructure have been pushed to the brink. Up until a few months ago, the drive from Beirut's international airport through the Lebanese capital city's southern suburbs used to feature a stream of pro-Iranian and Hezbollah-themed propaganda.