US Approves Aid to Help Lebanon Disarm Hezbollah

The United States has greenlit a new security assistance package for Lebanon, with a value estimated at $14.2 million. This aid, approved by the U.S. Department of War, is a key component of the Trump administration’s strategy to bolster the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and empower them in their mission to “dismantle weapons caches and military infrastructure of non-state groups, including Hizballah.” The announcement comes amid a recent push by the Lebanese government to assert its authority and disarm all non-state actors within its borders.
The assistance package is part of a Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), a program that allows the President to authorize the transfer of defense articles and services from U.S. stocks to foreign countries. The specific equipment included in this package is designed to enhance the LAF’s capacity to deal with the dangerous and complex task of clearing unexploded ordnance and destroying illegal arms. The items include demolition equipment such as shaped charges, detonating cords, blasting caps, time fuses, and related gear, along with generators and transportation. This specialized equipment will provide the LAF with the tools necessary to conduct patrols and safely remove and dispose of weapons caches belonging to groups like Hizballah.
The move is a direct reflection of the administration’s priority to counter Iranian-backed terrorist groups in the region. The U.S. has long viewed the LAF as a critical counterweight to Hizballah’s influence in Lebanon. While Lebanon has been a significant recipient of U.S. security assistance in the past, this particular package is unique in its explicit focus on empowering the LAF to degrade Hizballah’s capabilities. This initiative is aligned with a broader, U.S.-backed plan to see Hizballah fully disarmed by the end of the year, with the Lebanese government having a state monopoly on weapons.
The Lebanese government, under pressure from the international community and amid internal political complexities, has been working on a plan to disarm Hizballah and other armed factions. The disarmament plan is an ambitious and delicate undertaking, especially given Hizballah’s significant political and military power within the country. Recent reports indicate that the Lebanese government is moving forward with the plan, which has already seen a first stage involving the confiscation of arms from Palestinian factions within refugee camps. The next phase will focus on Hizballah, and the U.S. assistance package is a clear sign of Washington’s support for this effort.
The security package also follows a recent surge in tensions between official Lebanese forces and Hizballah. While the LAF has been modernizing with U.S. aid for years, this new package is a strategic maneuver to give it the specific tools needed to address the immediate threat posed by non-state actors’ military infrastructure. The U.S. has provided more than $3 billion in security assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces since 2006, with a focus on strengthening border security, counterterrorism, and internal stability. This latest package, however, marks a pointed effort to equip the LAF for a direct confrontation with Hizballah’s military capabilities.