Trump administration allocates $230 million to Lebanon in effort to disarm Hezbollah

The Trump administration has approved $230 million in funding for Lebanon’s security forces, as part of efforts to weaken and disarm Hezbollah, according to sources in Washington and Beirut.

A Lebanese source familiar with the decision said the package includes $190 million for the Lebanese army and $40 million for the Internal Security Forces.

Democratic aides in the US Congress confirmed that the funds were released just before the end of Washington’s fiscal year on 30 September. One aide, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “For a small country like Lebanon, that’s really, really significant.”

According to Reuters, the funding was released at a time when President Donald Trump’s Republican administration had cut back on many foreign aid programmes, arguing that the priority for taxpayer money should be “America First.”

Commenting on the move, a US State Department spokesperson said in a statement: “US assistance 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.”

The Lebanese source added that the funding will enable the Internal Security Forces to handle domestic security, allowing the army to focus on other key national responsibilities.