DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Thursday warned foreign diplomats “not to threaten the Lebanese,” criticizing repeated remarks by US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack perceived in Beirut as mulling the possibility of Syria extending control over Lebanon.

Barrack has sparked repeated controversy in recent months over comments seen in Lebanon as suggesting a return to Bilad al-Sham, the historical “Greater Syria” region that once encompassed modern-day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine.

In July, he warned that “if Lebanon does not move, it will return to Bilad al-Sham,” a remark widely interpreted as implying that Lebanon could fall back under Syria’s orbit or even be reabsorbed into a larger Syrian framework.

Speaking to the Lebanese Press Syndicate, Berri said such language is “completely unacceptable,” calling Barrack’s comments a “major mistake.” He stressed that Lebanon can only confront threats “through unity,” which he described as the country’s main source of strength.

Berri also addressed the ongoing ceasefire negotiations, saying the current mechanism is a recognized framework sponsored by the United States, France, and the United Nations. He said talks focus on Israeli withdrawal, the deployment of the Lebanese Army, and ensuring weapons south of the Litani River are restricted to the army.

He noted that Lebanon has fulfilled its commitments since November 2024, with more than 9,300 soldiers deployed alongside the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which confirmed Lebanese compliance. Israel, he said, committed roughly 11,000 violations of the agreement.

Berri added that the Lebanese Army has completed 90 percent of the ceasefire requirements in south Litani and will finish the rest by year’s end. “No one is asking when Israel has respected even one clause,” he said, accusing it of expanding its occupation of Lebanese territory.

The US envoy has provoked upset in Beirut at multiple junctures, calling Lebanon a "failed state" and deriding its leaders as "dinosaurs" in November. The diplomat, himself of Lebanese descent, also stirred unrest in August, when he told journalists in the to act "civilized" and referred to their behavior as "animalistic."

Barrack again drew backlash recently at the Doha Forum when he spoke about the possibility of “bringing Lebanon and Syria closer” and aligning the two countries, which many in Beirut viewed as echoing the idea of Syria annexing Lebanon.