The Trump administration is ramping up pressure on the Lebanese government to disarm the Iran-backed terrorist movement, with one senior U.S. official terming Lebanon a "failed state" for its inaction.
U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, Thomas Barrack, who also serves as envoy to Lebanon and Syria, said Saturday in Bahrain that Lebanon is a "failed state" because of its "paralyzed government," The Associated Press reported. He also noted that Hezbollah retains 40,000 fighters and between 15,000 and 20,000 rockets and missiles, noting the terror group pays its militia $2,200 per month, whereas the Lebanese Armed Forces soldiers earn $275 a month and have inferior equipment as well.
The U.S. brokered a ceasefire in Nov. 2024 between the U.S.-designated terrorist organization Hezbollah and Israel. In August, Lebanon’s government accepted an American plan to disarm Hezbollah by the end of 2025.
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However, Lebanon’s fragile government and its army have not been able to dismantle Hezbollah operations across the country, according to Israeli officials and leading experts on the group.
Sarit Zehavi, a leading Israeli security expert from the Israel Alma Research and Education Center, told Fox News Digital, "Israel is the only one disarming Hezbollah with its airstrikes. The Lebanese army is far from enough. We don’t see proof of disarmament of Hezbollah by the Lebanese army. The Lebanese army is not entering villages in south Lebanon to search for the weapons of Hezbollah inside of the houses."
Zehavi, who lives in northern Israel, said the Lebanese army needs to go house-to-house and neighborhood-to-neighborhood and put the weapons on trucks and publish what was seized.
She added that names of the villages that have been cleared of Hezbollah weapons need to be disclosed. "All of that is not happening," said Zehavi.
"Disarming Hezbollah and other non-state actors, as well as ending Iran’s proxy activities, is crucial to ensuring peace and stability in Lebanon and across the region," a U.S. State Department official told Fox News Digital, adding that "an armed Hezbollah is a threat to Lebanon and its neighbors. The region and the world are watching carefully. A stable Lebanon will present attractive investment opportunities."
U.S. envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus said Wednesday in Lebanon that the Lebanese military "must now fully implement its plan."
An Israeli government security official echoed her concerns in an interview with Fox News Digital.
"We feel obligated to the American mechanism. We pass on Hezbollah’s violations to the American mechanism. We have seen the Lebanese army enforce the cease-fire, but the pace is insufficient," said the security official, adding, "We were striking Hezbollah terrorist operatives on an almost daily basis since the ceasefire in accordance with it. A lot of these operatives are operating from civilian areas. The IDF is putting a lot of effort [into] not targeting civilian areas. We can’t tolerate Hezbollah’s attempts to rebuild its capabilities."
Tensions mounted on Wednesday when the Lebanese army condemned an Israeli attack that killed a municipal worker in the border town of Blida, calling it 'a criminal act' and a violation of the ceasefire agreement.
The IDF said its forces had opened fire after identifying "an immediate threat" during an operation to destroy Hezbollah infrastructure.
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Lebanese President Joseph Aoun instructed the army on Thursday to confront any Israeli incursion into southern Lebanon after Israeli forces crossed the border overnight and killed a municipal employee, despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire.
Lebanon's Armed Forces (LAF) has historically stayed on the sidelines of major conflicts with Israel, and has not confronted its military in recent months. Israeli warplanes flew over the presidential palace in Beirut, according to a witness, shortly after Aoun's first order for the army to engage Israeli troops since he became president in January.
The United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) condemned the Israeli attack, calling it "a blatant violation of the Security Council Resolution 1701 and Lebanon’s sovereignty."
The Israeli government security official stressed, "We put trust into the ceasefire. We have shared interests with the state of Lebanon and common interests to disarm Hezbollah. Our responsibility is first and foremost to Israel. We have civilians who have returned to the north and need to ensure their safety."
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The United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) was tasked prior to Oct. 7 with aiding the Lebanese Army in disarming Hezbollah and from establishing military outposts on the border with Israel. Israeli officials have long argued UNIFIL has failed miserably.
When asked about the allegations that Hezbollah is rearming and reconstructing its command centers, Tilak Pokharel, a UNIFIL spokesperson, told Fox News Digital that UNIFIL operates from Litani river to the Blue Line, a demarcation area that covers 10% of Lebanon’s territory. He said "We have not seen any build-up, and we have been working every day and supporting them, the Lebanese Armed Forces. Until earlier this week, we found 360 weapons and ammunition caches since November 27, 2025."
Media outlets reported that a French unit of UNIFIL shot down an Israeli drone this week. The UNIFIL spokesman said, "We don’t normally name the unit involved."
Matthew Levitt, a leading scholar on Hezbollah from the Washington Institute, told Fox News Digital that "Nobody should be surprised that Hezbollah is trying hard to rebuild its capabilities. And therefore nobody should be surprised that Israeli forces continue to strike Hezbollah forces, not only in the south but also in the Beqaa Valley. With a government in Beirut eager to constrain Hezbollah, the group is under pressure at home as well. Note the Lebanese Central Bank’s action against Al Qard al Hassan and other Hezbollah financial institutions in Lebanon is a telling example."
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Walid Phares, an American academic expert on Hezbollah and Lebanon who has advised U.S. presidential candidates, has analyzed movements among Lebanese citizens to forge diplomatic relations with Israel.
He told Fox News Digital, "Recently, there has been a noticeable rise in statements from Lebanese politicians and social media influencers calling for the establishment of diplomatic relations with Israel and an end to the ongoing war."
He added, "Many Lebanese have witnessed Hezbollah’s defeat in its confrontation with Israel, dispelling the long-standing notion — promoted by Hezbollah — that it is invincible. Yet, despite this military setback, the militia in Lebanon shows no intention of relinquishing its weapons. Hezbollah remains determined to maintain control over Lebanon and suppress other communities. Moreover, the group continues to receive directives from the Islamic Republic of Iran to endure the current circumstances and prepare for future conflict.
"Consequently, an increasing number of Lebanese are calling for their government to initiate dialogue with Israeli leaders, hoping that such a step would prompt U.S. support to help Lebanon disarm Hezbollah."
The U.S. State Department official told Fox News Digital "The Government of Lebanon has made a courageous and historic decision to disarm Hezbollah, a task it has assigned to the Lebanese Armed Forces as the sole legitimately armed force in Lebanon. We extend our full support for this decision. The United States will continue to partner with the Government of Lebanon to make sure that Lebanon is free, prosperous and safe for all Lebanese people."
The Lebanese embassy in Washington D.C. and its government in Beirut did not respond to multiple Fox News Digital press queries.
