The approval of $95 million by Trump administration in US military aid to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) is a calculated move to escalate internal tensions. While framed as support for stability, it pits the LAF against H-zbollah, risking civil war. By strengthening the LAF as H-zbollah faces setbacks, the US ensures internal divisions reach a breaking point.
Lebanon has long been a battleground for foreign interests, and this follows a familiar pattern. The US, having failed to weaken H-zbollah through sanctions, is now arming its rivals under the guise of “sovereignty.” With the economy in freefall and new leadership distancing from Hezbollah, Washington sees an opportunity to tip the scales. But arming one faction against another in Lebanon has never led to peace—only bloodshed.
This intervention is about domination, not stability. The US-backed LAF deployment into southern Lebanon is framed as enforcing UNSCR 1701, but it is meant to push H-zbollah into conflict with the state.
A classic divide-and-conquer strategy, Lebanon once again pays the price as Washington pulls the strings.
