Lebanon Seeks Reciprocal Steps in US Talks as Israel Deal and Hezbollah Disarmament Stall

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam in Washington on Monday as the US works to advance a peace agreement between Beirut and Israel. Negotiations concerning the US-brokered Israel-Lebanon framework, initially agreed upon in June, have slowed amid ongoing Israeli bombing in southern Lebanon despite a declared ceasefire. At the same time, Lebanon has not yet disarmed Hezbollah, which remains a central component of the accord.

Following the discussions, Mr Salam issued a statement expressing eagerness for a “renewed partnership” with the US aimed at rebuilding the state and reinforcing its legitimate institutions. He urged Washington to activate the trilateral framework through a reciprocal, gradual process featuring a clear timetable and credible verification. Mr Salam emphasized that implementing the deal should occur alongside an Israeli withdrawal and the expansion of Lebanese state authority. The US State Department did not immediately issue a report regarding the meeting.

A primary point of contention in executing the Israel-Lebanon framework involves the sequence of actions. Lebanon seeks an Israeli withdrawal first, whereas Israel demands the prior disarmament of Hezbollah, resulting in a stalemate. Hanin Ghaddar, the Friedmann senior fellow in The Washington Institute's Linda and Tony Rubin Programme on Arab Politics, noted that the agreement clearly outlines the required steps. With Israel having withdrawn from an initial “pilot zone” and the Lebanese army deployed there, Ms Ghaddar stated that Lebanon is now required to disarm and dismantle Hezbollah before pursuing further Israeli withdrawals.

“Lebanon deployed the army but has not done the disarmament. So the sequence is now with Lebanon,” Ms Ghaddar explained, adding that Lebanon must take action prior to requesting additional withdrawals from Israel.

In his statement, Mr Salam omitted any mention of Hezbollah's disarmament or dismantlement, instead referring to the “confinement of arms to the hands of the state” and the “exclusivity of arms.” Ms Ghaddar described the Iran-backed group as currently operating as a fraction of its previous strength, retaining only about 10 to 20 percent of its former capacity. However, she pointed out deeper political challenges, particularly Hezbollah's continued entrenchment within Lebanese state institutions.

“These decisions are not yet sovereign,” said Ms Ghaddar, noting that Washington has maintained a passive stance and needs to implement a verification mechanism and utilize tools such as sanctions to diminish Hezbollah's influence.

Meanwhile, Lebanese Finance Minister Yassine Jaber traveled to Washington to meet International Monetary Fund managing director Kristalina Georgieva at the fund's headquarters, seeking a new staff-level agreement with the multilateral lender. Although Lebanon previously signed a staff-level agreement with the IMF in April 2022 following an economic crisis driven by years of mismanagement and corruption, progress in implementing reforms has been slow. In September, the IMF noted that recent amendments to the government's bank resolution law represented a significant advancement for its banking sector reform strategy. Government estimates from 2022 placed financial crisis losses at roughly $70 billion, a figure expected to have grown since. Both Mr Jaber and Mr Salam were also scheduled to meet US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and hold discussions with senior officials at the World Bank.