The US has approved a potential $35 million deal to sell 90 Humvee military vehicles to the Lebanese army, which is currently under intense pressure from Washington to disarm Hezbollah.
The deal was announced by Washington's Defence Security Co-operation Agency, which said the 90 Humvees requested were in addition to 50 previously ordered.
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by improving the security of a partner country that continues to be an important force for political and economic stability in the Middle East,” the agency said.
“The proposed sale will provide a highly mobile and light combat vehicle capability enabling Lebanese Armed Forces to rapidly engage and defeat perimeter security threats and readily employ counter- and antiterrorism measures.”
President Donald Trump's administration sent about $230 million to support Lebanon's security forces in October. But a new US defence bill could make support for the Lebanese army conditional on progress in disarming Hezbollah.
Beirut's plans to bring all weapons under state control remain on track, government officials told The National this month. The army is said to be close to completing the first phase of the arms control plan, which entails disarming the Iran-backed group in the southernmost areas bordering Israel.
Lebanon has come under intense pressure from Washington to speed up the dis
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