The Trump administration has warned Lebanese leaders that their time to act against Hezbollah is running out, ahead of a crucial government meeting Friday. U.S. officials said failure to move on disarming the Iran-backed group could result in the loss of financial support from the United States and Gulf countries and possibly trigger a renewed Israeli military operation in Lebanon.
Washington, along with Israeli and Arab partners, is pressuring the Lebanese government to take decisive action despite threats from Hezbollah, which some Lebanese officials have described as warnings of a potential civil war. U.S. officials who spoke to The New York Times called the moment “critical in Lebanon’s history,” citing what they described as a period of historic weakness for the group.
Hezbollah, however, still retains weapons, fighters, and significant political influence in Lebanon, including within parliament. A report by the International Crisis Group, a conflict-resolution nonprofit, said the group has likely been seriously weakened by its recent campaign against Israel, which escalated about a year ago, but it is not defeated.
Last month, the Lebanese government instructed its army to draft an official plan to disarm Hezbollah. The decision was viewed as highly significant by the United States, other regional partners, and Israel, which recently offered rare assistance to the Lebanese government.
U.S. officials expressed concern that Lebanon’s leaders may hesitate to confront Hezbollah. Security sources told Qatar’s Al-Arabi channel that the Lebanese army has gone on alert ahead of the government meeting, which will address plans to disarm the group.
One U.S. official warned that inaction or partial steps could prompt Congress to cut Lebanon’s annual aid, which totals about $150 million.
If Lebanon delays, Israel may take action on its own, officials said, possibly launching a new military operation. Israel has already established positions in southern Lebanon, citing Hezbollah’s failure to uphold the 2024 ceasefire.
U.S. officials said conditions are favorable for Lebanese leaders to act, noting that Hezbollah’s Iranian patron has been weakened after Israel’s war with Iran, in which the United States was involved. The flow of weapons from Iran to Hezbollah through Syria has also been blocked following the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Sunni Muslim countries in the region have pledged billions of dollars in economic aid to Lebanon in exchange for decisive action against Hezbollah.
Thomas Barrack, who also serves as the U.S. envoy to Lebanon and Syria, said during a visit to Beirut this week that Hezbollah could be persuaded to join “one Lebanese state without widespread violence.”