The United States has reportedly warned Gulf countries, including Qatar and Saudi Arabia, against providing financial aid to Lebanon, reports the Middle East Monitor citing local newspaper Al-Akhbar.
As part of its effort to weaken Hezbollah, Washington has also informed Gulf states of a ban on money transfers to Lebanon and Syria.
The paper cited an “informed” source as saying that the United States is seeking to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict to achieve its greater goals in the Middle East and its conflict with China, not just for Israel’s interests.
Another political source noted that the US may obstruct any financial support for Lebanon before the next parliamentary election in 2026, explaining that the US administration expects the maximum pressure policy to bring about radical changes in the Lebanese parliament and push Lebanese voters to punish Hezbollah for the consequences of the war and the difficult economic situation.
“Members of the American-Lebanese lobby are seeking to convince the US administration of the need to work to prevent Hezbollah and the Amal Movement from obtaining the full Shia share in parliament […] in order to achieve a complete political transformation in the Lebanese scene, after which work can be done to achieve an economic breakthrough.”
The source added, European countries, including France, oppose this policy, considering the Lebanese reality as being extremely fragile, and any exclusion of a Lebanese component would make it difficult to achieve stable governance and leave Lebanon vulnerable to internal conflicts.
