US sends $230M to Lebanon as it moves to disarm Hezbollah

US President Donald Trump's administration approved $230 million for Lebanon's security forces this week as they push to disarm the once-powerful armed group Hezbollah, sources in Washington and Beirut said, Report informs via Reuters.

A Lebanese source familiar with the decision said the funding included $190 million for the Lebanese Armed Forces and $40 million for the Internal Security Forces. Democratic US congressional aides said the funds had been released just before Washington's fiscal year ended on September 30.

"For a small country like Lebanon, that's really, really significant," one of the aides said on a call with reporters, requesting anonymity in order to speak freely.

The funding was released at a time when the Republican president's administration has been slashing many foreign assistance programs, saying that its priority in spending taxpayer dollars is America First.

The release of the funds appeared to reflect the priority Trump has put on trying to resolve the conflict in Gaza and the wider region.

Asked for comment, a State Department spokesperson said in an emailed statement that US assistance supports Lebanese forces "as they work to assert Lebanese sovereignty across the country and fully implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701, the only viable framework for a durable security arrangement for both Lebanese and Israelis."