The U.S. greenlights $230M for Lebanon’s army and police to weaken Hezbollah, marking rare pressure on Iran’s terror proxy after its war with Israel.
The Trump administration has approved $230 million in aid to Lebanon’s security forces, a move widely interpreted as support for Beirut’s fragile attempt to curb Hezbollah’s military power after a year of war with Israel, Reuters reported Thursday.
According to officials in Washington and Beirut, the package includes $190 million for the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and $40 million for the Internal Security Forces (ISF). The funds were rushed out just before the U.S. fiscal year closed on September 30.
“For a small country like Lebanon, that’s really, really significant,” one congressional aide said, underscoring the scale of American backing. The State Department declined to comment officially.
Lebanon’s cabinet has ordered the army to draft a plan to disarm Hezbollah by the end of 2025, a remarkable decision considering Hezbollah’s stranglehold over the state for decades. Though no binding vote or clear enforcement timeline was set, ministers signaled approval of the concept.
Predictably, Hezbollah reacted with rage. Its deputy leader Naim Qassem slammed the government’s move and vowed the Iranian proxy would never surrender its arsenal. For Israel, the development is significant: U.S. aid aimed at neutralizing Hezbollah could either help Lebanon reclaim sovereignty—or backfire if Hezbollah uses its political muscle to seize the funds indirectly.
⚠️ Why It Matters for Israel
- A weakened Hezbollah is essential to preventing another devastating war on Israel’s northern border.
- American pressure on Beirut could force Lebanon to choose between legitimacy and Iranian subjugation.
- Israel will remain vigilant, knowing that Hezbollah has ignored every past demand to disarm.
