Lawmakers question whether US moving fast enough to capitalize on Hezbollah's weakened state

A House Foreign Affairs Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee proceeding connected Tuesday underscored what lawmakers and witnesses repeatedly described arsenic a "historic" but "narrowing" accidental to weaken Hezbollah and reconstruct Lebanese authorities sovereignty, portion exposing crisp disagreement implicit whether existent U.S. argumentation is moving accelerated oregon forcefully enough.

Opening the hearing, Chairman Mike Lawler, R-NY., said Lebanon is "at a crossroads" pursuing the Nov. 2024 Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire, arguing the infinitesimal offers "an unprecedented opportunity" to assistance Lebanon "break escaped of the shackles of Iran’s malign influence." He warned, however, that advancement has been uneven, saying implementation of the Lebanese Armed Forces’ has been "haphazard astatine best."

The ranking member, Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., struck a much confrontational code toward the administration, informing that Hezbollah is already rebuilding and that U.S. argumentation risks squandering the moment.

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Commuters thrust past a newly-installed billboard bearing the representation of a Lebanese emblem and a connection that reads successful Arabic "Lebanon a caller era", replacing a Hezbollah billboard, connected the roadworthy starring to Beirut's Rafic Hariri International airdrome connected April 10, 2025.  (Photo by Joseph Eid/AFP via Getty Images)

"There is simply a historical accidental successful Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah and region its grip connected the Lebanese state," helium said. "That model of opportunity, however, is narrow. Hezbollah is moving hard to rebuild, rearm and to reconstitute itself."

He criticized cuts to non-security assistance and faulted comments by a Trump medication envoy who described Hezbollah arsenic "a governmental enactment that besides has a militant facet to it," arguing specified connection "sent the incorrect signals" astatine a captious moment.

David Schenker, elder chap astatine The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, testified that portion Hezbollah has been weakened militarily, the gait of disarmament remains dilatory and obstructed.

People motion arsenic Hezbollah person Naim Qassem gives a televised address, during a rally successful solidarity with Iran and Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, astatine Beirut's confederate suburbs, Lebanon Jan. 26, 2026.  (Mohamed Azakir/Reuters)

"The LAF has a beingness successful the southbound that it didn’t person anterior to November 2024," Schenker said. "But they are not successful control. Hezbollah inactive controls the region."

Schenker said the obstacle is nary longer capableness but governmental will. "At this point, the question of disarmament is not a substance of capableness but of will," helium told lawmakers, informing that Hezbollah continues to thrive amid corruption and a cash-based economy.

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Hezbollah members salute and rise the group's yellowish flags during the ceremonial of their fallen comrades Ismail Baz and Mohamad Hussein Shohury, who were killed successful an Israeli onslaught connected their vehicles, successful Shehabiya successful southbound Lebanon connected April 17, 2024.  (AFP via Getty Images)

Hanin Ghaddar, elder chap astatine The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said that adjacent afloat weapons surrender would not dismantle Hezbollah’s power.

"Hezbollah is not sustained by weapons alone," Ghaddar said. "It survives done an economical and governmental ecosystem that protects currency flows, penetrates authorities institutions and enables subject rebuilding."

She warned that Lebanon’s unregulated currency system has go Hezbollah’s astir durable asset. "Weapons tin beryllium collected, but wealth keeps flowing," Ghaddar said. "Disarmament without dismantling the currency economy… volition not beryllium durable."

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In this photograph released by the Lebanese Presidency property office, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, right, meets U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack, 3rd left, U.S. lawman peculiar statesmanlike envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus, 2nd left, and U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Lisa A. Johnson, left, astatine the statesmanlike palace successful Baabda, successful eastbound of Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025.  (Lebanese Presidency property bureau via AP)

All 3 witnesses emphasized U.S. enactment should beryllium tied to measurable show specified arsenic advancement connected disarmament of Hezbollah and economical reform.

Schenker called for renewed sanctions against corrupt Lebanese officials, saying, "We should beryllium sanctioning leaders close now… who are obstructing reform."

Dana Stroul, manager of probe and elder chap astatine The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, warned that Washington’s attack remains incomplete.

"For the past year, U.S. argumentation has focused connected Hezbollah disarmament, which is critical, but connected its ain is lone a partial strategy," Stroul said.

She cautioned that upcoming parliamentary elections could either "strengthen oregon undermine the anti-Hezbollah government," calling it the "worst-case outcome" if Hezbollah-aligned politicians clasp power.

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Smoke rises aft an Israeli airstrike connected Dahiyeh, successful the confederate suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024.  (Bilal Hussein/AP Photo)

Ghaddar said Hezbollah’s weakening has shifted Lebanese nationalist discourse. "The mythology of absorption has shattered," she said. "Peace is nary longer taboo."

She argued that normalization with Israel would rise the governmental outgo of Hezbollah’s rearmament and assistance fastener successful reform. "Without a credible bid horizon, disarmament and economical betterment volition beryllium temporary. With one, they go structural," Ghaddar said.