US sends $230mn aid to Lebanon amid move to disarm Resistance: Reuters

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Reuters
Today 11:59

The US has approved $230 million in aid for Lebanon’s Armed and Security forces in a financial push to disarm Hezbollah.

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Lebanese soldiers deploy at the entrance of the Burj al-Barajneh Palestinian refugee camp, where Palestinian factions handed over weapons to the Lebanese army, in Beirut's Southern Suburb, Lebanon, on August 21, 2025 (AP)

The administration of United States President Donald Trump has approved $230 million in funding for Lebanon's security forces, sources told Reuters.

Reportedly, the conditioned aid is intended to assist Lebanese authorities in efforts to disarm Hezbollah, Lebanon’s leading Resistance party. Disarming the country’s foremost Resistance faction has long been a central focus of US policy in West Asia, as the group continues to challenge American hegemony and interests in the region.

Funding breakdown, timing

According to a Lebanese official familiar with the decision, the package includes $190 million for the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and $40 million for the Internal Security Forces (ISF). The funds were released just before the end of the US fiscal year on September 30.

“For a small country like Lebanon, that’s really, really significant,” a Democratic congressional aide commented anonymously, underscoring the importance of the funding for Lebanese authorities.

US position, UN mandate

A State Department spokesperson said the aid supports Lebanese forces “as they work to assert Lebanese sovereignty across the country and fully implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701, the only viable framework for a durable security arrangement for both Lebanese and Israelis.”

Resolution 1701, adopted in August 2006, ended the last major Israeli war on Lebanon following "Israel’s" request for a ceasefire.

Hezbollah and its allies have repeatedly stressed that Lebanon has fully adhered to Resolution 1701, continuing to coordinate with authorities under the supervision of the Mechanism to dismantle military infrastructure south of the Litani River. The group has also withdrawn all armed personnel from areas north of the river.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has likewise emphasized on multiple occasions that Lebanon has implemented all clauses of the November 27, 2024, mediated agreement with "Israel", while "Israel" has yet to fulfill its commitments.

Regional context, Hezbollah

However, on August 5, President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam tasked the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) with drafting a plan to consolidate all weapons under state control by the end of 2025.

Hezbollah and the allied Amal Movement stressed that the government’s decision is constitutionally void, noting it lacked the support of Shiite ministers and representatives of the Shiite community in parliament. Lebanon’s confessional system requires that major government decisions obtain the backing of representatives from all religious sects.

The August 5 decision was later overshadowed during a ministerial meeting on September 5, when the government, still without Shiite representation, linked any disarmament plan to full Israeli withdrawal and respect for Lebanese sovereignty, reinforcing Lebanon’s stance on safeguarding its national integrity.

Internal security, strategic Priorities

According to Reuters, a Lebanese source noted that part of the funding will allow the ISF to assume expanded internal security duties, freeing the LAF to focus on critical missions, including border oversight and protection of strategic sites.

Analysts argue the US move reflects Washington’s ongoing efforts to interfere in Lebanon’s internal affairs, using the pretext of strengthening state institutions and enforcing UN mandates to undermine Lebanese resistance and expand its strategic influence in the region. It is worth noting that Hezbollah and allied Resistance parties have been at the forefront of defending Lebanese sovereignty, as the Lebanese state remains incapable of effectively confronting hostile forces.

Hezbollah, side by side with the Lebanese people, liberated South Lebanon on May 25, 2000, stood as the sole defender of the country during the 2006 Israeli war, collaborated with the Lebanese Army to purge eastern border areas of terrorist groups, and successfully prevented a large-scale Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 2024.