US politicians overseeing foreign policy legislation have emphasised the importance of the Lebanese Armed Forces to American interests, even as some officials voice sharp criticism of the army over what they describe as “double speak” on disarming Hezbollah.
Lebanon's armed forces “remains a critical security partner" of US forces in the Middle East, the House foreign affairs committee said. It said the Lebanese army “must continue unfettered in pursuit of the full completion of the five-phase plan” to disarm Hezbollah.
During a trip to Washington, Lebanese army chief Gen Rodolphe Haykal met US military officials and President Donald Trump’s senior adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs, Massad Boulos, who described the meeting as “excellent”.
But senator Lindsey Graham, who is close to Mr Trump and who also met Gen Haykal on Thursday, said their discussion was cut short over a disagreement. “I asked him point-blank if he believes Hezbollah is a terrorist organisation. He said, ‘No, not in the context of Lebanon.’ With that, I ended the meeting,” the hard-line pro-Israel senator wrote on X.
“As long as this attitude exists from the Lebanese Armed Forces, I don’t think we have a reliable partner in them,” he added, saying he was “tired of the double speak in the Middle East”.
Hezbollah, a powerful paramilitary group and political party, was battered in a conflict with Israel that ended in November 2024. Under a US-brokered ceasefire, Hezbollah was to withdraw and disarm south of the Litani River, while Israel was to withdraw fully from Lebanese territory.
Israel and the US have since pushed for the group’s full disarmament nationwide. Lebanese leaders and the country's armed forces have committed publicly to disarming the Iran-backed group to establish a state monopoly on weapons – something that has not existed since the outbreak of Lebanon’s 15-year civil war in 1975.
Lebanese officials, including Gen Haykal, have said the issue is highly sensitive and warned that rapid disarmament could lead to internal conflict, stressing the need for time.
The Lebanese military says it has disarmed Hezbollah between the Israeli border and the Litani River, completing the first phase of a five-phase plan. Hezbollah has rejected disarmament north of the Litani, while Israel continues to launch daily strikes on Lebanon and occupies five areas near the border it deems “strategic”.
A Lebanese political source close to Hezbollah said that "Graham’s position is an attempt to target Gen Haykal and embarrass him over the issue of military aid".
