US and Hezbollah Discuss Ceasefire as Lebanon Army Targeted for Disarmament

President Trump announced that representatives of Hezbollah had approached Washington with a proposal to stop the fighting in Lebanon, claiming the group sought a back‑channel ceasefire while publicly rejecting formal U.S.‑brokered terms. Trump said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to suspend troop movements toward Beirut, but limited Israeli strikes continued.

U.S. officials outlined a plan to strengthen the Lebanese army, viewing it as the central element for disarming Hezbollah. The proposal includes training in operational planning, intelligence gathering and coordination, and aims to enable the army to tackle Hezbollah’s weapons in southern Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley, where the group maintains missile launchers and underground arsenals. Washington officials expressed concern that the effort could falter due to corruption, sectarian divisions and Hezbollah’s deep penetration of state institutions, citing past failures in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The strategy aligns with broader U.S.‑Israel security talks, which also demand demilitarisation of the Beqaa Valley. The success of the plan hinges on the Lebanese army’s capability to operate independently of Hezbollah’s influence and on the continuation of diplomatic negotiations linking the Lebanon conflict to wider U.S.–Iran talks.