The US Embassy in Beirut affirmed on Saturday that a US State Department spokesperson stressed that the "tripartite framework" clearly stipulates that the Lebanese government is the sole legitimate authority authorized to conduct discussions regarding the future of Lebanon and to speak on behalf of the Lebanese people. The embassy noted, in a post on the "X" platform, that the spokesperson said the United States stands with the Lebanese people and wants Lebanon to be a secure and sovereign country, considering that achieving this requires the disarmament of Hezbollah. He added: "As Ambassador Michel Issa said, we want nothing more than for them (Hezbollah) to hand over their weapons. And when Hezbollah decides it is ready to do so, it can talk to the Lebanese state, with which we are already in dialogue, and inform it that it is ready to hand over its weapons. And then we can try to bridge the gap between the two sides." He continued: "But as things stand, Hezbollah does not yet want to talk to the Lebanese state, nor with us, nor with Israel, because it simply receives its orders from Iran." He concluded by saying: "It is time for Hezbollah to do what is in the interest of Lebanon and the Lebanese people."