The US is increasing pressure on Lebanon to show concrete progress on disarming Hezbollah, as frustration grows within the Trump administration over what it sees as slow and uneven implementation on the ground, four American and Lebanese sources have told The National.
A visit to Washington this week by Lebanese army commander Gen Rodolphe Haykal was cancelled after the Lebanese Armed Forces denounced Israeli “enemy” attacks inside Lebanon. Lebanese military and security sources said the cancellation was intended as a message: Washington is losing patience with Beirut’s leadership over the stalled disarmament effort.
There’s a sense in Lebanon that Washington believes the army is not capable of doing the job, a senior Lebanese military official told The National, speaking on condition of anonymity, like others in this article, to discuss sensitive matters.
The US is one of the Lebanese army's most important backers, providing more than $3 billion in support over the past two decades. The policy aims to bolster state institutions in a country where Iran-backed Hezbollah has long held military and political power.
Last year, Lebanon and Israel agreed to a US and French-brokered ceasefire. Under the terms, Hezbollah and Israeli forces were required to withdraw from southern Lebanon, where UN peacekeepers were deployed alongside the Lebanese army to help dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure.
But Israel is still occupying five positions it considers strategically vital and continues to carry out daily strikes in Lebanon on what it says are Hezbollah targets.
The cancellation of Gen Haykal’s trip was a “visible warning” to Lebanon and its military apparatus, a US source close to the administration said.
“The US is signalling it will not sustain co-operation indefinitely if core strategic priorities – disarming Hezbollah, siding with Israel and managing the Lebanese-Israeli border – are not addressed,” said the American source.
Lebanon adopted an unprecedented plan to disarm Hezbollah in September and has touted significant progress south of the Litani River, the zone closest to Israel. However, Israel accuses Beirut of moving too slowly and Hezbollah of quietly rearming.
President Joseph Aoun has said the Lebanese army is fully performing its duties south of the Litani and is expanding its deployment daily. The army has also said it has completed most of the first phase of its operations in the region, which is set to continue to the end of the year.
Hezbollah has insisted it will not disarm while Israeli troops remain on Lebanese soil. The group was severely weakened by its year-long war with Israel, which ended in November 2024, but it still retains part of its arsenal – though it is unclear how much.
Underlying constraints
American and Lebanese officials understand that disarming Hezbollah is complex, constrained by political sensitivities and the army's limited tools. Many fear that any direct confrontation with the militant group risks igniting civil war.
“The LAF [Lebanese Armed Forces] cannot easily or comprehensively disarm Hezbollah now; internal Lebanese politics will continue to complicate US objectives,” said the American source. “So while the US may be toughening its line, Lebanon’s practical room to manoeuvre remains limited.”
Another Lebanese source with direct knowledge of the discussions said Washington’s recent messages are directed at Lebanon’s leadership – not the army. “The army only implements,” said the source, adding that there are differing views within the Trump administration regarding the performance of the government and the LAF. “Centcom assesses that the LAF is doing fine,” they said, referring to the US Central Command.
“Our Lebanese partners continue to lead the way in ensuring the disarmament of Lebanese Hezbollah is successful,” Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of the US Central Command, said last month after a senior military meeting in Naqoura, southern Lebanon. “We remain committed to supporting the LAF’s efforts as they work tirelessly to strengthen regional security.”
The Americans cannot agree on Lebanon, the Lebanese source said. “Some believe that more pressure and punitive measures are the answer. But the Lebanese government, which [US special envoy] Tom Barrack described as a ‘failed state’, cannot absorb that kind of pressure,” added the source.
Options on the table
Alternative options are limited. A US diplomatic source told The National that one potential path is for Lebanon to lean more heavily on its Gulf partners as a counterweight to Iran. “Give them jobs, schools, hospitals and money. Offer them a better life than what Hezbollah provides,” said the diplomatic source about the group's fighters.
However, Hezbollah’s relationship with Iran is rooted not only in money but also in ideology. “They can’t sell this to their constituency,” said one Lebanese source, while the other agreed.
Gulf states – including Saudi Arabia – have tied any future assistance to comprehensive reforms and Hezbollah’s disarmament. While Gulf countries helped rebuild Lebanon multiple times in the past, conditions are different today.
Saudi Arabia’s envoy to Lebanon, Prince Yazid bin Farhan, visited Beirut this week as talks continue on restoring economic relations. For now, the kingdom is taking a cautious, wait-and-see approach.
“The Saudis are more understanding than the Americans about our political realities,” said the Lebanese source. “The Americans don’t seem to have patience. They’re telling us: help yourselves so we can help you – but don’t involve us in the details.”
Lebanese officials see concessions from Israel as essential to advancing the disarmament process.
In August, Mr Barrack said in Beirut that Lebanon had taken the first step and that Israel now needed to comply. But last week, Israel was accused of expanding its presence in southern Lebanon by building a concrete wall extending beyond the UN-monitored Blue Line.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said last Friday that the peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, Unifil, had called on Israel to remove the barrier.
“They [the Israelis] continue their attacks, they continue occupying the country,” said the Lebanese source. “Israel needs to co-operate so that Beirut can negotiate from a position of strength with Hezbollah – and this is where the Trump administration is failing.”
