US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham to LBCI: I spoke with President Trump about Lebanon and believe he is very eager to reach agreements

U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said that any potential ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon must address the role of Hezbollah, warning that Lebanon “will never move forward” as long as the group remains armed.

In an interview with LBCI, Graham said, “It’s long past time to put Lebanon on a different track. As long as Hezbollah is a major force in Lebanese life, Lebanon will be stuck and can never move forward.”

He added, “Hezbollah is a terrorist organization under U.S. law. They have American blood on their hands. They killed the Marines and sailors. And until Lebanon makes a decision to disarm these bastards, Lebanon will never move forward.”

Graham said a ceasefire “makes sense if there’s a pathway to change the dynamic,” adding, “I don’t blame Israel for attacking Lebanon, which is a safe haven for one of the largest terrorist organizations in the world.”

He expressed support for the Lebanese people, saying, “I wish a better life for the Lebanese people. I’ve been there many times… it’s a beautiful country, beautiful people, could have unlimited potential. But it’s defined in America by terrorism.”

Graham said he had spoken with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, describing them as “men of good faith,” while adding that “most Lebanese do not want Hezbollah to be armed.”

He said, “It’s time for ‘Hezbollah’ to give up their weapons and let the Lebanese army be the only one that controls heavy weapons,” adding that “the best thing for Lebanon is for the Lebanese to deal with ‘Hezbollah,’ not the Israelis… not the United States.”

On recent talks between Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors, Graham said they could help pave the way for a ceasefire, stating, “A hundred percent. But the talks have to address the elephant in the room… what are you going to do with Hezbollah?”

He added, “You can do any ceasefire you’d like… until Hezbollah is disarmed… Lebanon will be stuck.”

Graham also said he supports increased U.S. assistance to Lebanon under certain conditions. “I would be very generous in investing in the Lebanese military… militarily and economically… if I felt we had a better outcome, partner,” he said.

He added that he would like to see Lebanon eventually join the Abraham Accords, saying, “A Lebanon without Hezbollah… would be well received by the Trump administration and the civilized world.”

Graham said he had spoken with U.S. President Donald Trump about Lebanon, adding, “He likes your country… the Lebanese diaspora have been very successful throughout the United States… I think Trump’s very excited, quite frankly, to do deals with Lebanon, but you’ve got to get rid of Hezbollah.”

On Iran, Graham rejected the idea of extending any ceasefire, saying, “No… they’ve had plenty of time… no extension.”