US delegation delivers tough message to Beirut: Show results, not words

Report by Bassam Abou Zeid, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

The recent visit of a U.S. delegation led by Dr. Sebastian Gorka carried both opportunity and urgency for Lebanon. 

The delegation made clear that Washington still sees a chance for Beirut to take concrete steps toward disarming Hezbollah and cutting off its sources of funding.

However, those who met with the American officials described their tone as firm and precise. 

The delegation reportedly presented a detailed list outlining what is expected from each Lebanese official they met with, giving a two-month deadline—described as possibly the final one—for Lebanon to take decisive measures that prove its seriousness in limiting Hezbollah's weapons and curbing its financing network.

Sources familiar with the talks said the meetings, which included Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Banque du Liban (BDL) governor Karim Souaid, Interior Minister Ahmad al-Hajjar, and Justice Minister Adel Nassar, focused on immediate and measurable actions. 

The Americans demanded swift steps, including halting the operations of the al-Qard al-Hasan Association, tightening control over Beirut's airport and seaports, especially the Beirut Port, where Hezbollah's presence reportedly persists, and confronting this influence directly.

The delegation also stressed the need for Lebanon to complete the pending financial and banking reforms required for a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), calling such an agreement the only path to restoring trust in the banking sector and reducing reliance on the cash-based economy.

U.S. officials made it clear that promises and pledges were no longer sufficient. Only concrete actions, they said, would keep Lebanon within the scope of American interest. 

These points were reiterated during a dinner hosted by MP Fouad Makhzoumi in honor of the U.S. delegation on Sunday evening, attended by Finance Minister Yassine Jaber, who was not originally on the delegation's meeting schedule.