Washington’s unease is becoming increasingly evident as the Lebanese Army maintains a clear, sovereign position in describing Israeli aggression for what it is. Lebanese media reported that the United States abruptly canceled Army Commander Gen. Rudolf Heikal’s scheduled visit to Washington today, following a recent military statement condemning Israel’s continuous attacks on southern Lebanon and on UNIFIL forces.
According to the same reports, US officials canceled all meetings planned for the Army Chief, while the Lebanese Embassy in Washington called off the reception organized in his honor. Sources emphasized that the direct cause was “Washington’s objection to the Army’s tone, which held Israel responsible for destabilization without assigning any blame to Hezbollah, at a time when the United States regards Israel as a principal ally.”
The statement—firmly rooted in national principles and on-the-ground facts—angered several prominent members of Congress, prompting an internal debate over the future of US assistance to Lebanon. The issue has now reportedly been placed under the purview of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, given his role in shaping Washington’s evolving policy toward Lebanon, particularly regarding the Lebanese Armed Forces.
In a sign of escalating political pressure, Republican Senator Joni Ernst wrote on X expressing “disappointment” with the Lebanese Army’s position.
Disappointed by this statement from @LebArmyOfficial.
The LAF are a strategic partner, and — as I discussed with the CHOD in August — Israel has given Lebanon a real opportunity to free itself from Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorists.
Instead of seizing that opportunity and… https://t.co/vJHAtMeRAs
— Joni Ernst (@SenJoniErnst) November 17, 2025
What provoked Washington, however, was the very truth it sought to suppress. On November 16, the Lebanese Army stated plainly that “the Israeli enemy persists in violating Lebanese sovereignty and causing instability,” adding that the Israeli enemy’s attack on a UNIFIL patrol constituted “a dangerous escalation that demands immediate action.” Israel later admitted it had mistakenly fired on two UN peacekeepers.
UNIFIL, through its spokesperson Candice Ardell, also voiced “deep concern” over the repeated Israeli attacks.
The contrast between the Army’s statement and the rhetoric emerging from Congress underscores a fundamental reality: the problem does not lie in Beirut’s words, but in Washington’s discomfort with any Lebanese position that identifies Israel for what it is—an occupying force engaged in continuous aggression.
Source: Al-Manar Website
