Washington Responds to Lebanese Army Commander: No Sovereignty for Lebanon with Hezbollah's Presence; Aid Tied to Progress on Disarmament

The US State Department sent a direct message to Army Commander General Rodolphe Heikal in response to his statements regarding critics of the military institution, affirming that the continued presence of Hezbollah constitutes, according to its position, the primary obstacle to restoring Lebanon's sovereignty and restricting weapons to state control.

In a response reported by MTV channel, the US State Department considered that the political, economic, and security crises in Lebanon are linked to the continued existence of Hezbollah, accusing it of using Lebanese territory to attack Israel, threaten public figures, and prevent the army from monopolizing force.

Washington emphasized that the tripartite framework constitutes a path for Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon and the establishment of peaceful neighborly relations, confirming that it expects the Lebanese Army to take verifiable steps to disarm Hezbollah and dismantle its infrastructure, provided that the Israeli Army reciprocates these steps.

The US State Department also warned that rhetoric which does not correctly diagnose Lebanon's problems, as it phrased it, will not help restore its sovereignty, considering that the country faces a choice between continuing Iran's influence and taking steps to regain its decision-making capacity.

Regarding military support, Washington recalled that it has provided more than $3 billion in security assistance to Lebanon since 2006, including $190 million to the army during the past year, noting that additional aid would be contingent upon the army making tangible progress in implementing agreed-upon commitments.