Why did US Senator Lindsey Graham abruptly cut short a meeting with Lebanon's army chief?

US Senator Lindsey Graham said he abruptly ended a meeting with the commander of the Lebanese army after the officer declined to label Hezbollah a "terrorist organisation".

In a post on X on Thursday, Graham said he "had a very brief meeting" in Washington after asking Lebanese Armed Forces commander Rodolphe Haykal whether the Lebanese army considered Hezbollah to be "a terrorist organisation".

Graham said that Haykal, who returned from his four-day visit to Washington on Thursday, reportedly replied: "No, not in the context of Lebanon."

The US senator went on to describe Hezbollah as "clearly a terrorist organisation", claiming the group has American blood on its hands. "Ask the US Marines," he added.

He said Hezbollah has been designated a foreign terrorist organisation by both Republican and Democratic US administrations since 1997, arguing that the designation was justified.

Graham, who is staunchly pro-Israel, has long advocated for unconditional and expanded US military aid and defence cooperation with Israel, and confrontational policies toward its adversaries, including Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah.

"As long as this attitude exists from the Lebanese Armed Forces, I don’t think we have a reliable partner in them," he said, adding that he was "tired of the double speak in the Middle East".

The comments come amid continued US pressure on Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah.

The Lebanese army issued a statement saying Haykal held talks with US military and political officials aimed at strengthening military cooperation and supporting the army’s capabilities.

According to the army’s statement, US officials praised the Lebanese army's implementation of international law and its security plan south of the Litani River, describing it as the institution guaranteeing security and stability in Lebanon.

The army also said Israeli attacks and the continued occupation by Israel of positions inside Lebanese territory were negatively affecting efforts to complete the plan.

At least 300 people have been killed by Israel in Lebanon since a November 2024 ceasefire deal.

In August last year, the Lebanese government reaffirmed that all weapons, including those currently in Hezbollah's possession, should be held exclusively by the state.

The group has repeatedly rejected calls to disarm, saying it would only give up its arms once Israel ceases its near-daily attacks on Lebanon and withdraws from the Lebanese territory it currently occupies. 

Last month, the Lebanese army said it had completed the first phase of plan to extend state authority and limit weapons outside its control and had now entered an advanced stage, without specifying details. The first phase covers an area south of the Litani River.

On Tuesday, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the main obstacle now to extending state authority south of the Litani River was Israel's failure to withdraw from areas it still occupies.

He stressed that Israel’s continued presence remained the central impediment to restoring full state control in southern Lebanon.