Two prominent senators, one Democrat and one Republican, have put their name on a bill that aims to support Lebanon’s sovereignty with the larger aim of curtailing Hezbollah.
Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D‑N.H.), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and James Lankford (R‑Okla.) introduced a bipartisan bill that ties money and pressure to making the Lebanese state the only armed authority inside Lebanon’s borders, depriving Hezbollah, a designated terrorist organization, of its military might.
“For the first time in decades, Lebanon has a real chance to reclaim its sovereignty, disarm Hezbollah and break free from Iran’s malign influence, but success depends on sustained American support,” said Shaheen in introducing the “Lebanon Sanctions, Stabilization and Support Act.”
Lankford cast the bill as a result of the first face-to-face talks in three decades between Israel and Lebanon. “A sovereign Lebanon protects Lebanese, Israeli and American citizens living in the region and puts real pressure on the terrorists,” he said.
The prominent support from senators on both sides of the aisle makes it likely the bill will get approved by the committee, though possibly with amendments. With Congress in recess in the coming weeks, it won’t receive a floor vote before October at the earliest and would then pass on to the House before becoming law.
What the Bill Actually Does
The proposed law runs on four tracks, and distinguishing between them matters for anyone trying to read Washington’s mind on Beirut.
Section 2 authorizes sanctions against any entities or foreigners supporting Iran’s financing of Hezbollah, obstructing the Lebanese Armed Forces’ efforts of disarmament, or blocking reforms to Lebanon’s banking system. The targets of the bill’s sanctions include their assets, restrictions on U.S. financial transactions, and their visa entry to the U.S. Humanitarian aid or intelligence activity are exempt from the sanctions. The measures in the bill are set to expire after five years unless renewed.
Section 3 creates stabilization funding. Humanitarian assistance will continue, and there will be a new fund, administered by the State Department, to use on rebuilding civilian infrastructure and state services. Half of that fund will remain frozen until the Secretary of State issues Congress a certificate noting that Beirut has declared Hezbollah’s military activities outlawed and that the Lebanese Armed Forces are exercising its arms monopoly over the country.
Section 4 is where the real money sits: $200 million a year in security assistance granted to LAF and Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces, or ISF. That allocation could grow to $300 million if progress continues towards curbing Hezbollah. “In the bill, the Secretary of State is required to brief Congress on whether Lebanon has made meaningful progress, which can unlock additional U.S. support,” a Senate Aide familiar with the legislation explained to MBN. “Specifically, the LAF and Internal Secutiry Forces (ISF) must show improvement in countering Iranian proxies, and the government of Lebanon must demonstrate further development and implementation of a plan to expand state services and increase legitimate political participation in Lebanese communities that are currently dependent on parallel services from Hezbollah.”
The payoff for meeting those demands, the aide said, is specific: “If the Secretary determines that meaningful progress is made in these areas, then after the first year, annual U.S. funding can increase to $250 million for the LAF. And if progress continues for a second year, then by the third year, it can increase to $300 million.”
Section 5 layers oversight on top of all of it: Recurring reports to Congress on disarming militia groups, financial reforms, and coordination between the Lebanese Army and the Israeli Defense Forces.
The Loophole Question
The bill protects legitimate economic activity from sanctions and shields people merely affiliated with a sanctioned individual. “We wanted to make sure that legitimate economic activity in Lebanon is not affected,” the Senate aide said. “So, the Treasury Department can license exceptions to sanctions to make sure that the Lebanese economy doesn’t suffer and that the country is still able to rebuild. We don’t want to end up in a situation where all of Lebanon’s economy, including legitimate economic activity, is frozen due to sanctions.”
What Does Washington Want from Beirut?
The bill’s aim is to make sure that Beirut’s decisions actually stick – and are rewarded – regarding a state monopoly on arms, the disarming of Hezbollah, and a ban on the terrorist group’s military and security activity. Making that happen requires that Lebanon reform its banking laws by amending secrecy provisions put in place in April 2025. And the bill wants LAF to show it can police collusion within its own ranks, through inspection units, spot checks, and real consequences for personnel who work with Hezbollah.
None of that will happen by American sanctions alone. The bill’s architecture makes plain that Washington sees itself as a financier and enforcer of a process that Lebanon has to run.
