WASHINGTON/BEIRUT (Dispatches) – A bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. Senate on Friday would hold $200 million per year in military aid hostage unless Lebanon disarms Hezbollah, curtails alleged Iranian influence, and normalizes relations with Israel—a brazen act of blackmail that analysts say forces Beirut to surrender its primary deterrent against Israeli occupation in exchange for piecemeal assistance.
The Lebanon Sanctions, Stabilization, and Support Act, introduced by Senators Jeanne Shaheen and James Lankford, authorizes $200 million annually for the Lebanese Armed Forces and Internal Security Forces, with a possible increase to $300 million if the U.S. deems “sufficient progress” against Hezbollah. 
Those designated as supporting the group face asset freezes, transaction bans, and visa denials. Beirut must submit regular compliance reports to Washington or risk losing the funds entirely.
For a country with a collapsed economy and a military reliant on foreign aid, $200 million annually is a pittance—barely enough to cover basic operational costs. Yet the U.S. is demanding Lebanon sacrifice its only viable force capable of resisting Israeli aggression: Hezbollah.
The resistance movement has historically been the sole military formation in Lebanon capable of challenging Israeli ground incursions. Its arsenal serves as the country’s primary deterrent against Israel’s repeated violations of Lebanese sovereignty. 
The U.S. bill would require Beirut to dismantle that deterrent while offering no security guarantees against future Israeli attacks—attacks that have already killed at least 4,300 people and wounded over 12,270 across Lebanon since March, according to the Ministry of Public Health.
The legislation follows U.S.-brokered discussions in Rome, where Lebanese and Israeli officials reportedly compiled a list of countries to verify Hezbollah’s disarmament—with Washington retaining final authority over the selection, according to a Lebanese official who spoke to Reuters. France has already been rejected by both Israel and the U.S.
The normalization clause further ties Lebanon’s foreign policy to Israeli interests, forcing Beirut to accept a framework that successive governments have resisted without a comprehensive settlement addressing occupied territories and Palestinian rights.
Critics argue the bill blackmails the Lebanese government into acting against its own population’s security interests, potentially triggering internal conflict while providing no mechanism to halt ongoing Israeli strikes. 
The oversight provisions grant Washington unilateral authority to determine compliance, leaving Beirut dependent on U.S. political whims.
For Lebanon’s pro-Western government, the choice is stark: accept the blackmail and destabilize the country’s delicate sectarian balance, or reject the aid and watch its military struggle under ongoing bombardment.