US, France and Saudi Arabia agree to conference to bolster Lebanon’s army
France is looking for more support for a committee monitoring the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.
BEIRUT — The United States, France and Saudi Arabia agreed on Thursday to organize an international conference to support Lebanon’s military in February 2026, as the military pushes ahead with a plan to extend state control over all weapons in the country, including the arms of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.
What happened: The agreement came during a meeting in Paris between US, Saudi and French officials, with Lebanese military commander Rodolphe Haykal in attendance.
French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux told a press briefing following the meeting that the participants agreed to hold the conference in February aimed at raising funds and mobilizing support for the Lebanese military. He said, however, no specific date or location has been agreed to yet.
He told reporters that Haykal briefed the meeting on the progress of the Lebanese military's plan to monopolize arms in Lebanon and outlined the military's “specific needs” to complete it.
