U.S. envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said Israel will not pull out from the five positions it still holds in southern Lebanon, warning that Hezbollah is rebuilding its military capacity and that the Lebanese government must assume responsibility.

In an interview with Sky News Arabia on Sunday, Barrack described Hezbollah and Iran as “enemies” and insisted their funding streams must be severed.

“Hezbollah is our enemy, and Iran is our enemy. We need to cut off the heads of these snakes and stop their funding,” he said.

Barrack claimed that while many Lebanese believe Hezbollah is not reconstituting its power, the group is in fact receiving as much as $60 million a month “from somewhere” to bolster its operations. He accused the government in Beirut of limiting itself to rhetoric.

“Everything Lebanon is doing is talk without real action,” he said.

The envoy urged Lebanese authorities to “clearly declare that it will disarm Hezbollah,” stressing that the absence of concrete steps has only allowed the group to strengthen. He added that the government’s reluctance stems from fears that disarming Hezbollah could trigger civil conflict.

Nonetheless, Barrack dismissed any prospect of U.S. military involvement.

“We will not intervene to confront Hezbollah, either with our forces or through U.S. Central Command,” he said.

Asked about the Lebanese Armed Forces, Barrack described them as “organized but not well equipped,” saying the institution remains constrained in its ability to confront Hezbollah or defend national sovereignty.

Turning to Israel, Barrack said the five southern positions will remain in place and suggested Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is prepared to act unilaterally if he perceives a threat.

“Netanyahu doesn’t care about borders or red lines if he feels Israel is threatened,” he said.

On Lebanon’s broader political climate, Barrack acknowledged the severity of the crisis but offered cautious optimism about the current leadership.

“The situation in Lebanon is very difficult, but we have a good team in power,” he said.

Expanding to the regional outlook, the envoy struck a bleak tone, saying peace in the Middle East remains out of reach.

“Peace is an illusion. There’s never been peace, there will probably never be peace,” he said.