Lebanon calls for ‘reciprocal’ progress on Israel deal as disarming Hezbollah remains stalled

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Monday, as Washington tries to advance an agreement between Lebanon and Israel aimed towards a peace settlement.

Negotiations on the US-brokered plan, which was initially agreed to in June, have nearly ground to a halt amid continued Israeli bombing of southern Lebanon, despite a ceasefire.

Meanwhile, Lebanon has failed to disarm Hezbollah, a step that was a key part of the deal.

After the meeting, Mr Salam said he looked forward to a “renewed partnership” with the US, one that "aligns with the project of rebuilding the state and strengthening its legitimate institutions".

He said he also urged the US to activate the trilateral plan through "reciprocity and gradualism" and called for a clear timeline.

Fulfilling the deal should proceed along with Israeli withdrawal and the extension of Lebanese state authority, he added.

The State Department said Mr Rubio reaffirmed the US commitment to supporting Lebanon as it implements the plan, which officials described as the "only path to a durable peace" between Lebanon and Israel.

Mr Rubio also reaffirmed US support for a sovereign Lebanese state outside of the "pernicious influence of Hezbollah and Iran".

A contentious issue in fulfilling the peace plan is the order in which key steps should be taken. Lebanon first wants to see an Israeli withdrawal, while Israel wants Hezbollah disarmed first, leading to a stalemate in talks.

Hanin Ghaddar, the Friedmann senior fellow for The Washington Institute's Linda and Tony Rubin Programme on Arab Politics, said the agreement was clear on what should happen next.

Israel has withdrawn from one "pilot zone" and Lebanon has posted its army there – so Lebanon must next disarm and dismantle Hezbollah before seeking more Israeli withdrawal.

“Lebanon deployed the army but has not done the disarmament. So the sequence is now with Lebanon,” Ms Ghaddar said. “The sequence now means that Lebanon has to do something before asking for further Israeli withdrawal.”

Mr Salam did not address Hezbollah's disarmament or dismantlement in his remarks, but referred to the “confinement of arms to the hands of the state” and “exclusivity of arms".

Ms Ghaddar said Iran-backed Hezbollah is now just “a shadow of what it used to be”, at only about 10–20 per cent of its former strength.

She said there were deeper political issues, such as the extent to which Hezbollah remains embedded in Lebanese state institutions.

“These decisions are not yet sovereign,” said Ms Ghaddar.

She added that Washington had adopted something of a “passive role” and needed to establish a verification mechanism and to use tools including sanctions to help remove Hezbollah's influence from Lebanese institutions.

IMF meeting

Lebanon's Finance Minister Yassine Jaber was also in Washington to meet International Monetary Fund managing director Kristalina Georgieva at the institution's headquarters. He said Beirut was seeking a new staff-level agreement with the multilateral lender.

Lebanon signed a staff-level agreement with the IMF in April 2022 after the country was plunged into economic crisis due to years of mismanagement and corruption, but Beirut has been slow to implement the changes.

The IMF in September said recent approval of amendments to the current government's bank resolution law marked a “significant step forward” in its banking sector reform strategy.

According to 2022 government estimates, Lebanon said losses from the financial crisis were about $70 billion, a sum that is likely to have increased since then.

Mr Jaber and Mr Salam also met US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

"The Secretary urged the Lebanese government to take proactive steps to disrupt Iranian and Hizballah financial networks," the Treasury said.

"Secretary Bessent also noted the importance of Lebanon advancing key financial sector reforms to restore confidence in Lebanon’s banking system."

The Lebanese delegation was also expected to hold discussions with senior officials at the World Bank.