US bill links Lebanese army aid to Hezbollah disarmament

Trump administration sent $230m to Beirut in October

Lebanese soldiers stand guard near the entrance to a tunnel in the village of Zibqin, near the border with Israel in southern Lebanon, on November 28. EPA

A US defence bill contains a stipulation that aid to the Lebanese military might become contingent on progress in disarming Hezbollah.

Legislators this week released the final text of this year's National Defence Authorisation Act, which outlines defence policy and funding for the next fiscal year. The bill could come up for a vote as early as this week.

“The Secretary of Defence, pursuant to existing authorities, shall seek to provide assistance, including training, equipment, logistics support, supplies and services, to the Government of Jordan and the Government of Lebanon for the purposes of … increasing the capacity of the Lebanese Armed Forces in order to disarm the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hezbollah,” the legislation reads.

It adds that the Secretary of Defence and the head of US Central Command must submit a report by June 30, 2026 on plans to continue financial and material aid, to include a “rubric for assessing the progress of the Lebanese Armed Forces in disarming Hezbollah, and options for suspending assistance to the Lebanese armed forces if it is determined that such forces are unwilling to act to disarm Hezbollah”.

The legislation also amends a subsection of the 2016 NDAA on defence aid to Lebanon by adding “such support may be used only to promote the ability of the armed forces of Lebanon to counter the threat posed by Lebanese Hezbollah and any other terrorist organisation that threatens the security of Lebanon and its neighbours”.

The US has been a staunch backer of the Lebanese military, with President Donald Trump's administration sending about $230 million to Beirut in October. The military has been severely affected by Lebanon's continuing economic crisis and now depends heavily on foreign aid.

Hezbollah is an Iran-backed political movement and militant group that has held significant power in Lebanon for decades. Years of cross-border disputes with Israel drew Lebanon into open conflict in 2006, and again last year amid the Gaza war.

In August, the Lebanese government told the military to bring all weapons under state control, effectively ordering the disarmament of Hezbollah. In the months since, Beirut has hailed significant progress in disarmament in the area to the south of the Litani River near the border with Israel.

But Israel and the US have complained that the process is going too slowly.

Senator Lindsey Graham, who has been vocal in encouraging Lebanon to take action on Hezbollah, in a November post on X condemned the Lebanese military for calling Israel an enemy while dragging its feet on disarmament.

“It is clear that the Lebanese Chief Head of Defence – because of a reference to Israel as the enemy and his weak almost non-existent effort to disarm Hezbollah – is a giant setback for efforts to move Lebanon forward,” he wrote. “This combination makes the Lebanese Armed Forces not a very good investment for America.”

The Lebanese military comments had come after Israel fired on UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon. Although a ceasefire was signed with Hezbollah in November last year, Israel has launched several strikes on Lebanon, with the latest occurring on Monday after the two countries entered into civilian talks.