Proposed cuts to U.S. foreign assistance could undermine Washington’s own objectives in Lebanon by weakening the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) at a time when the military is expected to play a central role in implementing security arrangements in the country’s south and countering Hezbollah’s influence, according to a new analysis by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. 

In a report published this week, former U.S. ambassador Alina Romanowski, former National Security Council official Ben Fishman, and counterterrorism expert Michael Jacobson argued that the Trump administration’s proposed fiscal year 2027 budget contains significant reductions in Middle East assistance that could jeopardize key American interests across the region. 

Among the most notable reductions is a sharp cut in military assistance to the Lebanese Army, which the authors described as particularly difficult to reconcile with Washington’s broader policy goals in Lebanon. 

The report noted that the administration is proposing to reduce assistance to the LAF to just $36 million, a dramatic decline from the $100 million to $200 million the force has received annually since 2021.

The authors questioned the logic of scaling back support at a time when the United States is actively seeking to broker security arrangements between Israel and Lebanon that would place greater responsibilities on the Lebanese military, including efforts aimed at curbing Hezbollah’s military presence. 

“Another puzzling move is the decision to cut assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces to just $36 million,” the report said, noting that Washington is simultaneously working to advance an Israel-Lebanon agreement that would require the LAF to take on a larger role in disarming Hezbollah.

The analysis forms part of a broader critique of proposed reductions in U.S. foreign assistance programs throughout the Middle East. The authors warned that while the administration has preserved traditional military aid packages for Israel, Egypt and Jordan, other security and stabilization programs face substantial cuts despite continuing regional instability. 

According to the report, the administration is seeking to reduce funding for State Department counterterrorism programs worldwide from $330 million to $240 million, while also cutting funding for international law enforcement programs and ending support for most international peacekeeping operations.

The authors argued that such reductions come at a particularly sensitive moment for the Middle East, where countries continue to grapple with the aftermath of the Iran war, instability in Syria and Yemen, and ongoing security challenges elsewhere in the region.

In Lebanon, they suggested that weakening the army could complicate efforts to stabilize the country and implement security arrangements designed to prevent further escalation along the Israeli-Lebanese border. 

The report also warned that broader cuts to U.S. security assistance risk eroding one of Washington’s most effective tools for maintaining influence and supporting regional partners.

Beyond Lebanon, the authors expressed concern over reductions in funding for programs that train and equip foreign security forces, noting that U.S. military resources dedicated to helping partners combat extremist threats have fallen sharply compared with previous budget proposals. 

While acknowledging criticism of some past foreign aid programs, the authors argued that assistance remains an essential instrument of American policy, particularly during a period of significant geopolitical uncertainty in the Middle East. They called on Congress to restore funding for stabilization, humanitarian and counterterrorism programs and urged policymakers to carefully weigh any further reductions against long-term U.S. strategic interests. 

For Lebanon, the report’s central message was clear: reducing support for the Lebanese Army while expecting it to assume greater security responsibilities risks weakening a key institution that Washington itself views as critical to the country’s stability and to efforts aimed at containing Hezbollah’s influence.