U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen, Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Lindsey Graham on Tuesday voiced strong support for Lebanon’s decision to disarm Hezbollah, saying Washington would back the Lebanese Army and economy if the government succeeds in confining weapons to the State.

Shaheen, speaking after a meeting with President Joseph Aoun at the Baabda Palace, said the United States would continue supporting the path chosen by Lebanon and called the talks with the head of state “very productive.” She praised the government’s decision to strip Hezbollah of its weapons and said Washington was waiting for the Lebanese Army to approve next week a military plan to enforce the policy.

She said the U.S. position was clear, expressing support for weapons handover so that the Lebanese Army can guarantee Lebanon’s security and strengthen stability.

"The United States stands with the people of Lebanon. A secure stable and thriving Lebanon is in the interest not just of the United States and the Lebanese people but of the entire region," she said. "One of the keys to managing that reality is the full disarmament of Hezbollah and we had a very good discussion with the president about that."

Rejecting attempts to link the issue to Israel, Shaheen said: “We are not here to discuss what Israel has done or will do. The Lebanese Army has the will to disarm Hezbollah, and we support it in that.”

She added that it was vital to back “bold decisions” by reinforcing the army and implementing financial reforms to protect the country.

“We are continuing to press for support for the path Lebanon has chosen,” she said.

Shaheen also voiced U.S. support for banking sector reforms and expressed hope Parliament would succeed in passing them. She stressed that the Lebanese Army needed both financial and logistical support.

“We discussed this today with President Aoun, and we will help support the army and the economy if Lebanon succeeds in disarming Hezbollah,” she said.

In a notable intervention, Senator Graham said Hezbollah’s agenda was “separate from Lebanon’s interests and not loyal to the Lebanese people,” stressing that the idea of disarming the group “came from the Lebanese people themselves.”

Graham stated that Israel would not view Lebanon differently unless Hezbollah was disarmed and warned that Lebanon would not advance unless both Palestinian factions and Hezbollah were stripped of their weapons.

"It's all talk until something changes. Israel's never going to look at Lebanon differently until you do something different and that is disarm the enemy of Israeli people," Graham said. "Hezbollah has American blood on its hands, has Israeli blood on its hands, and has Lebanese blood on its hands."

"Don't ask me any questions about what Israel is going to do until you disarm Hezbollah. If you disarm Hezbollah, we will have a good conversation. If you don't, it's a meaningless conversation."

He said Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanese territory would only be raised after the state first moves to disarm Hezbollah.

“We understand that disarming Hezbollah is a difficult step, but it is a decisive one,” Graham said. “What we are discussing today is a turning point in Lebanon’s history, and America has no intention of going into any kind of war.”

Calling the move “the biggest change in Lebanon’s history,” Graham said Washington was committed to defending Lebanon and its religious diversity.

“Disarming Hezbollah is not Israel’s decision, it is the decision of the Lebanese people,” he added.

Graham said that if Hezbollah was disarmed, a future U.S.–Lebanon security agreement could be possible. He pledged support for the army and economy if the effort succeeds, saying: “There is a real opportunity to fix the situation in Lebanon, and we believe in it.”