US backs Lebanese state authority over war and peace
12:02, 10/09/2026, ThursdayU: Update: 12:20, 10/09/2026, Thursday
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File photoThe US Embassy in Beirut said on Thursday that decisions regarding war and peace should rest exclusively with the Lebanese state, expressing support for the government’s efforts to assert sovereignty through the Lebanese Armed Forces amid ongoing US-sponsored negotiations with Israel.
The US Embassy in Beirut on Thursday asserted that decisions regarding war and peace should rest exclusively with the Lebanese state, throwing its weight behind government efforts to assert sovereignty through the national military. "Every day, the Lebanese people make it clear they prefer Lebanese state institutions over Hizballah’s weapons," the embassy said in a statement posted on X, adding that southern Lebanon "does not belong to regional actors or militias."
The mission said the Lebanese army should enforce that sovereignty and ensure that "decisions of war and peace lie exclusively with the Lebanese state." Washington "applauds" communities in southern Lebanon for favoring state institutions over Hezbollah’s weapons, the embassy added.
US-sponsored talks with Israel
The statement comes amid US-sponsored negotiations between Lebanon and Israel over Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon. Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji said this week at the Arab League Council in Cairo that the talks represent the "most effective way" to halt Israeli attacks and compel withdrawal behind internationally recognized borders.
Lebanon and Israel have held seven rounds of direct negotiations under US sponsorship. The first five rounds were held in Washington, culminating in a 14-point framework agreement signed on June 26, while the sixth and seventh took place in Rome. The latest round concluded on Aug. 6 after three days of talks covering military, political, legal and border issues.
Israeli attacks persist
The framework provides for a phased Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory alongside the deployment of the Lebanese army and the disarmament of non-state armed groups. Israel has continued its attacks on Lebanon, which it started in early March after Hezbollah's retaliation to the Iran war, despite the framework agreement.
According to figures released by the Lebanese Health Ministry in late August, the attacks have killed more than 4,000 people and injured over 12,000 since early March.