The Pentagon on Wednesday said it approved a security assistance package for Lebanon with an estimated value of $14.2 million.
The Presidential Drawdown Authority package would build the Lebanese Armed Forces' capability and capacity to dismantle weapons caches and military infrastructure of non-state groups, including Hezbollah, the Pentagon said.
Discussions regarding disarmament began in May when Lebanese President Joseph Aoun announced his intentions to disarm foreign-backed and non-state groups in a meeting with Iranian officials.
The disarmament plan is backed by the United States
Tom Barrack, United States Envoy to Lebanon, was involved in crafting the plan. The goal of the operation would be to see Hezbollah fully disarmed by the end of the year, with the Lebanese government having a state monopoly on weapons.
The first stage involved confiscating arms from Palestinian factions that operated within refugee camps in Lebanon began in August and succeeded in disarming a large portion of non-state groups.
The next step for the Lebanese Army is to begin disarming Hezbollah, a move that the Iranian-backed proxy has actively resisted.
The Pentagon's security package follows rising tensions as official Lebanese forces struggled to force Hezbollah's cooperation.
Lebanon is the largest recipient of US security assistance per capita, with more than $3 billion provided to the Lebanese Armed Forces since 2006.
The aid has focused on strengthening border security, counterterrorism operations, and internal stability, as the LAF is seen by Washington as a counterweight to Hezbollah.
Previous US packages have included helicopters, armored vehicles, and training programs aimed at modernizing Lebanon’s conventional military forces.