Update: The Lebanese Army will be exempted and will continue to receive aid as confirmed by US officials.

A U.S. State Department official spoke to Al-Arabiya TV today and confirmed that U.S. President Donald Trump has decided to suspend all U.S. aid to Lebanon, citing the need for the country to achieve certain milestones. Assistance will only resume when Lebanon fulfills its promises and commitments.

The Lebanese Army, a key component of U.S. Lebanon policy to strengthen Lebanon’s sovereignty, will also stop receiving aid according to the same source, although newly appointed finance minister Yassine Jaber denied this claim. This comes after Trump froze USAID, which had provided over $1.3 billion in aid to Lebanon and played a crucial role in sectors such as education, agriculture, and infrastructure.

While the concrete steps required from Lebanon are unclear, the Lebanese Army needs all the support it can get right now to deploy in the south, secure our borders, and counter internal threats.