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The United States, Israel and the Gulf Arab states are pressuring Lebanon’s government to act decisively against the group.
Sept. 4, 2025, 4:11 p.m. ET
Lebanon’s leaders are running out of time to disarm the militant group Hezbollah before they risk losing U.S. and Gulf Arab financial support, and even a renewed Israeli military campaign, the Trump administration warned ahead of a key cabinet meeting in Beirut on Friday.
The warning comes at what U.S. officials call a critical moment in Lebanon’s history, as the country’s cabinet considers a plan to force the decades-old Iran-backed group to surrender its weapons.
The United States, Israel and the Gulf Arab states are pressuring Lebanon’s government to act decisively and not be intimidated by Hezbollah threats to incite violence.
“This is a key moment of opportunity” for Lebanon, said Firas Maksad, an associate fellow at the Middle East Institute who meets regularly with senior Lebanese officials.
With its combustible mix of religious and ethnic tensions and sensitive border with Israel, Lebanon has confounded American presidents since Dwight D. Eisenhower deployed 14,000 American troops there to thwart a feared communist takeover. Ronald Reagan sent 1,200 U.S. Marines to Beirut as peacekeepers during the nation’s civil war, only to withdraw them after a Hezbollah suicide bombing in 1983 killed 241 service members.
The Trump administration’s involvement in Lebanon draws far less attention than its peacemaking efforts in places like Ukraine and Gaza. But with those other efforts stalled, Lebanon may offer a better opportunity for a breakthrough.
