"The Hezbollah leadership scrutinized the understanding line by line before agreeing to it," said one of the sources familiar with the group's thinking. Two Hezbollah lawmakers told Reuters the group was open to the idea of a deal as a pathway to alleviate some of Lebanon’s economic woes. At one point, Hezbollah conveyed its frustration at the slow pace of the talks to Hochstein via Ibrahim, the Western source said. A U.S. official told Reuters Hezbollah had nearly "killed the deal with their provocative rhetoric and actions threatening war". "Once the pipes are in the water, war becomes a long way away," said a source familiar with Hezbollah's thinking.

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