The United States is stepping up pressure on Lebanon to formally include Hezbollah’s disarmament in the government's agenda, Lebanese political sources told The National.

According to sources familiar with diplomatic discussions, Washington is urging Beirut to endorse a phased plan that would see Hezbollah’s arsenal dismantled and its military influence rolled back, while laying the groundwork for a broader arrangement involving both Lebanon and Syria's future ties with Israel.

“A document recently presented by U.S. envoys outlines expectations for Lebanon to hand over Hezbollah’s weapons within a set timeframe,” said a parliamentary source briefed on the content. “The cabinet is expected to formally adopt the process to ensure it carries legal authority.”

The source added that this demand could serve as a precursor to renewed discussions about either normalizing relations with Israel or reaching a new ceasefire agreement to replace the longstanding 1949 armistice.

A senior government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. is subtly tying Lebanon’s commitment to the plan with progress on two other major issues: the return of Syrian refugees and the resumption of international aid and reconstruction funding.

“There’s a pattern playing out in both Lebanon and Syria,” the official said. “Military pressure is being applied to extract political concessions — in Syria’s case, to gain legitimacy, and in Lebanon’s, to unlock badly needed economic assistance.”

Despite concerns, Lebanese officials are not dismissing the U.S. proposal outright. According to parliamentary sources, talks are underway to amend the language of the U.S. document to make it more acceptable domestically.

“Consultations between the executive and legislative branches are focusing on modifying the text to reflect mutual obligations from both Lebanon and Israel,” said one lawmaker. “This would help ensure the plan is not perceived as a unilateral set of demands and would also stress the importance of Israel’s withdrawal from the remaining occupied border areas — even if done gradually.”

However, a source close to Hezbollah warned that implementing the U.S. plan before securing Israeli withdrawal and ending what it described as “ongoing aggression against the population” could trigger a severe domestic crisis.

“The appointment of U.S. envoy Tom Barrack to both the Lebanese and Syrian files is no coincidence,” the source said. “It suggests a unified American approach that views progress in Beirut and Damascus as part of the same strategic track, aimed at consolidating Israel’s security and interests.”

The latest developments follow a U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Iran after 12 days of intense fighting earlier this month. During the conflict, Hezbollah, long considered Iran’s most powerful regional proxy, remained on the sidelines, offering only rhetorical support to Tehran without engaging militarily.

A senior U.S. official told The National that Hezbollah’s restraint stemmed from mounting internal and external pressures.

“The resistance force — I’ll call them that — is now under pressure to preserve themselves. They’ve taken a knee,” the official said. “There’s nothing stopping the country to the south from launching a much larger campaign if they [Hezbollah] choose to escalate now.”

The official also noted that Iran had advised Hezbollah to stay out of the war in order to preserve what remains of its strength.