U.S. urges Lebanon to match principle with action after government tasks armed forces to collect weapons

The United States "welcomes the Lebanese government's decision on Tuesday to task Lebanese armed forces with a plan to bring all weapons under state control by the end of the year," State Department spokesperson Tommy said at a press briefing, adding that "as long as Hezbollah retains arms, words will not suffice."

Tommy said the United States sees the decision as an "important step towards Lebanese sovereignty" but stressed that the Lebanese government must match principle with practice. "The Lebanese Armed Forces must fully commit and act now to fully implement the government's decision. The credibility of Lebanon's government rests on its ability to match principle with practice," Tommy said.

Reporters asked whether the United States would play an enforcement or broker role; Tommy declined to preview specific future U.S. actions, instead saying the U.S. would "continue to watch developments in Lebanon very closely" and noted that special envoy Tom Barrack had been "in discussion with all the players in the region."

Tommy also declined to preview any immediate travel plans for Ambassador Barrack. When pressed about skepticism from Iran's foreign minister that the Lebanese decision would succeed, the spokesperson reiterated the need to see actions, not just declarations.

The remarks at the podium were a U.S. statement of support for the Lebanese government's announced plan and a call for implementation; the State Department did not announce any U.S. enforcement measures, timelines for U.S. assistance, or conditioning of aid in this briefing.