Lebanon continues to play an outsize role in US foreign policy as Congress and the administration of President Barack Obama seek to ramp up the pressure on government member Hezbollah without undermining the country’s stability.

The war in next-door Syria has only further complicated the already delicate balancing act of Lebanese politics. Congress in particular has sought to punish Hezbollah for its role in shoring up the Iranian-backed regime of President Bashar al-Assad, while the State Department is trying to help the country cope with a massive influx of refugees.

“The question of how best to marginalize Hezbollah and other anti-US Lebanese actors without provoking civil conflict among divided Lebanese sectarian political forces remains the underlying challenge for US policy makers,” the Congressional Research Service writes in its most recent report on Lebanon. “The ongoing political deadlock and the prospect of executive, legislative and security force leadership vacuums amplify this challenge.”

Underscoring US fears that Lebanon will descend into chaos, John Kerry stopped by Beirut unannounced in June — the first secretary of state in five years to do so. Kerry pledged US support for the country, which has taken in more than 1 million Syrian refugees — more than any other country — calling Lebanon “very important to the security of the region and beyond.”