The United States opposes extending the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) beyond Dec. 31, a State Department official told Al Jazeera, arguing that the mission had failed to prevent repeated conflicts and the expansion of Hezbollah’s military infrastructure near its positions.

The official said Washington’s position was based on what it described as UNIFIL’s failure, citing seven conflicts during the force’s tenure and Hezbollah’s construction of military infrastructure in the immediate vicinity of UNIFIL positions.

Washington is instead pursuing a different approach centered on a trilateral framework intended to establish lasting security and peaceful relations between Israel and Lebanon, the official said.

The official expressed confidence that implementation of the framework would begin gradually once UNIFIL’s mandate expires.

The United States believes the framework could lay the foundations for stable, peaceful relations between the two countries, making open-ended peacekeeping arrangements unnecessary, the official said. Any international presence in southern Lebanon should therefore be aligned with the framework’s objectives.

The State Department also said Washington was prepared to discuss arrangements aimed at disarming Hezbollah, strengthening the capabilities of the Lebanese army and reinforcing Lebanon’s sovereignty.