The United States (US) has approved $230 million in aid to Lebanese security forces, with $190 million allocated to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and $40 million to the Internal Security Forces (ISF).
The aid is part of efforts to make the country more sovereign and reduce the influence of Hezbollah militants.
The payment was made towards the end of the US fiscal year, and is seen as a strategic move by Washington to support Lebanon's security capabilities amid rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East region.
The Lebanese government hopes the aid will strengthen security controls within the country and allow the army to take over internal security responsibilities while the police focus on domestic crime cases.
The move has also sparked reactions from various parties in Lebanon, especially Hezbollah partisans who fear that foreign aid will undermine their influence in the country's security structures, thus creating the potential for internal political conflict.
For the US, this provision reflects a mixed diplomacy and military pressure approach in its foreign policy that uses financial support as a tool to influence the actions of other countries while defending its interests in strategic areas.
With the Israel-Hezbollah conflict still unresolved and regional tensions still high, the US move signals that Washington is prepared to actively intervene in efforts to stabilize Lebanon and limit the influence of non-state militants.
