US cancels visit by Lebanese army chief due to frustration over disarming Hezbollah: Sources

By Wassim Samih Seifeddine and Betul Yilmaz

BEIRUT / ISTANBUL (AA) – The US scrapped a scheduled visit by Lebanese army chief Gen. Rodolphe Haykal to Washington on Tuesday over frustration regarding the army’s underperformance on disarming Hezbollah, local media said.

“Reports about cancelling Haykal’s planned visit to Washington are correct,” two military sources told Anadolu, without giving further details.

According to the local MTV Lebanon television, the army chief’s planned meetings at the White House were cancelled.

The Lebanese Embassy in Washington also abolished a planned reception in his honor.

“The visit was cancelled due to US objection to a recent army statement that blamed Israel for escalation, without mentioning Hezbollah,” MTV Lebanon said.

On Sunday, the Lebanese army issued a statement condemning an Israeli tank fire that targeted a patrol of the UN peacekeeping mission (UNIFIL) in southern Lebanon. It also accused Israel of violating Lebanese sovereignty and obstructing the full deployment of the army in the south.

The visit was cancelled over “US dissatisfaction with what Washington considers as the army’s failure to adequately carry out its tasks on disarming Hezbollah,” Lebanese channel Al-Jadeed said.

A similar remark came from US Senator Lindsey Graham.

“It is clear that the Lebanese Chief Head of Defense -- because of a reference to Israel as the enemy and his weak almost non-existent effort to disarm.

Hezbollah -- is a giant setback for efforts to move Lebanon forward.” Graham said on US social media company X.

“This combination makes the Lebanese Armed Forces not a very good investment for America,” he added.

Since 2006, the US has assisted the Lebanese army, including providing military equipment, training special units, and providing logistical support.

Last October, the Trump administration approved $230 million in aid to Lebanese security forces to support the army’s efforts to disarm Hezbollah.

The Lebanese government on Aug. 5 approved a plan, based on a draft proposal presented by US Special Envoy Tom Barrack, to place all weapons -- including those held by Hezbollah -- under state control and tasked the army with implementing the plan before the end of 2025.

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem has repeatedly rejected the move and insists that Israeli forces must fully withdraw from Lebanese territory before laying down arms.

Tensions have been mounting in southern Lebanon for weeks, with the Israeli army intensifying near-daily air raids inside Lebanese territory, allegedly targeting Hezbollah members and infrastructure.

Under a ceasefire deal declared in November 2024, the Israeli army was supposed to withdraw from southern Lebanon this January but instead only partially pulled out and continues to maintain a military presence at five border outposts.