Saudi Arabia has told France that the assistance sought for Lebanon’s army and security forces will not be provided before Hezbollah is disarmed, a senior French source told Annahar, as Paris prepares to host an international meeting on support for Lebanon’s security institutions.

The Saudi position adds a significant political condition to efforts to bolster Lebanon’s armed forces, with around 15 countries expected to attend Thursday’s preparatory meeting in Paris, including the United States and several Arab and other regional states.

French President Emmanuel Macron will host Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Jordan’s King Abdullah for the meeting, which is intended to discuss Lebanon’s security and military situation and assess the needs of its army and Internal Security Forces.

The senior French source stressed that Thursday’s gathering would not be the conference at which decisions on specific aid packages, equipment or their distribution would be made. Instead, it will serve as a preparatory meeting to examine Lebanon’s military and security needs, which Beirut is expected to present.

But Saudi Arabia’s position on Hezbollah’s weapons puts the issue of disarmament at the center of the international effort to strengthen Lebanon’s security institutions.

The source said Riyadh had made its position clear to Paris: the requested assistance would not become available before Hezbollah is disarmed.

The issue is particularly significant as Lebanon seeks greater international support for its army and security forces while working to consolidate state authority and establish a monopoly on weapons.

U.S. and Saudi participation

The United States is expected to attend the Paris meeting at the military level, while a U.S. State Department official will also participate, according to the French source.

Saudi Arabia will likewise be represented at the military level. The source said it remained unclear whether Prince Yazid bin Farhan would attend.

Around 15 countries, including states from the region, are expected to participate in the discussions.

Macron will also hold separate bilateral meetings with Aoun and King Abdullah before bringing the two leaders together for a trilateral summit at the Élysée Palace.

France, Italy discuss post-UNIFIL force

The Paris meeting is also taking place as France and Italy coordinate on a possible international force to replace the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), should Beirut request such a deployment.

The senior French source said recent meetings in New York had demonstrated that the U.S. administration was opposed to maintaining UNIFIL in Lebanon. That position, the source said, had been clearly expressed by U.S. administration officials.

Washington has not, however, rejected the principle of maintaining an international military presence in Lebanon after UNIFIL’s departure, provided agreement can be reached on the force’s mandate.

The United States also understands the need to prevent a security vacuum from emerging when UNIFIL leaves, the source said.

France and Italy are therefore working on a possible framework for a joint force that could be deployed if Lebanon requests it. Both countries are determined to send troops if Beirut asks for them, according to the source, in an effort to prevent a vacuum that could otherwise be filled by Israel.