Lebanon possesses the rare opportunity to marginalize Hezbollah, restoring state sovereignty amid the group’s military and political decline following its conflict with Israel. Saudi Arabia—motivated by its Vision 2030 plan, regional stability, and Iranian containment—should aid in Lebanon’s success by reengaging with its new leadership through targeted economic aid, military support, and political cooperation, conditioned on major Lebanese reforms ensuring Hezbollah’s disarmament, judicial independence, and economic restructuring.
Key Takeaways
- While Saudi Arabia’s past political and economic involvement in Lebanon failed to curb Hezbollah’s rise, the current regional context and Lebanon’s new leadership present a unique window of opportunity for effective Saudi reengagement that will reduce Iranian influence and further its Vision 2030 goals.
- Saudi support should focus on providing monetary support to Lebanon’s reconstruction process, renewing military assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces, increasing Lebanese imports, lifting the travel ban on Saudi citizens traveling to Lebanon, and heightening cooperation with the new Aoun-Salam administration.
- Saudi support must be conditional on Lebanon’s implementing reforms, including full adherence to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 and the 2024 Israel-Lebanon ceasefire agreement, disarmament of Hezbollah, and credible economic and judicial restructuring.
Lebanon Reborn? How Saudi Reengagement Can Restore Lebanese Sovereignty and Purge Hezbollah by Hoover Institution
Cite This Essay:
Katharine Sorensen, “Lebanon Reborn? How Saudi Reengagement Can Restore Lebanese Sovereignty and Purge Hezbollah,” Hoover Institution, Hoover History Lab, June 2025.
