By Nohad Topalian | 2025-03-18

BEIRUT -- The decision to move ahead with the provision of US military assistance to Lebanon will help the Mediterranean country implement United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSC) 1701, its foreign minister said.

Resolution 1701 calls for an end to all military operations between Hizbullah and Israel, the disarmament of all Lebanese factions, and the creation of a militant- and weapon-free zone between the Blue Line and the Litani river.

The restoration of US military aid to Lebanon, following a brief suspension announced February 17, also will help to maintain regional stability, Lebanese Foreign Minister Joe Rajji told Al-Fassel.

US officials noted that the military aid is part of a broader strategy to weaken Hizbullah, reduce its influence in Lebanon and ensure the continuation of the ceasefire with Israel.

The new US military aid comes as Lebanon's new government has officially stated that the Lebanese state and its armed forces alone are responsible for defending the country.

The United States, like the Lebanese state, regards the Lebanese army as the entity responsible for implementing UNSC Resolution 1701 and the ceasefire agreement, Rajji said.

Previous US, European and Gulf assistance "enabled the army to persevere," he said, stressing that without it, "we wouldn't have an army today."

"Lebanon's economic crisis and financial collapse have negatively affected the military institution and its personnel, who no longer have food, military uniforms, or fuel for their vehicles," Rajji said.

US confidence in Lebanon

The United States "provides absolute support" to Lebanon's president, prime minister and government, with the expectation they will implement "economic, financial and administrative reforms and anti-corruption measures," he said.

The aid restoration is evidence of US confidence in the Lebanese army "and its ability to carry out the tasks assigned to it, primarily the implementation of Resolution 1701," strategy expert Fadi Daoud told Al-Fassel.

The army is "the only legitimate entity capable of protecting Lebanon and its people," he added, noting that the implementation of Resolution 1701 dismantles Hizbullah's military apparatus.

The Lebanese army has depended on US military assistance since 2005, Daoud noted.

The release of the new tranche of aid confirms US support for the implementation of Resolution 1701, he added, "to establish stability and foster development in Lebanon and the region."