Why a Graham Meeting With Lebanon’s Army Chief Ended Suddenly?

Graham Lebanon army meeting ended abruptly after U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham cut short a formal meeting with the Lebanese army chief in Washington following a direct dispute over how Hezbollah is described. The move drew political attention in Congress and renewed focus on the complexities of US-Lebanon military relations.

I just had a very brief meeting with the Lebanese Chief of Defense General Rodolphe Haykal. I asked him point blank if he believes Hezbollah is a terrorist organization. He said, “No, not in the context of Lebanon.” With that, I ended the meeting.

They are clearly a terrorist…

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) February 5, 2026

Graham ends meeting over Hezbollah dispute

In a post on the X platform, Graham said he asked Lebanese Armed Forces commander General Rodolphe Haykal whether he considered Hezbollah a terrorist organization. Haykal replied that the group was “not terrorist in the context of Lebanon,” prompting the U.S. senator to end the meeting immediately.

Graham stressed that the United States has designated Hezbollah a foreign terrorist organization since 1997, under the official classification issued by the U.S. State Department. He said the designation forms a legal basis for any security or military cooperation with official institutions.

The episode comes as the Lebanese army chief continues meetings in Washington with members of Congress and the U.S. administration to discuss military assistance and security coordination, amid broader debate over the role of the Lebanese state in the weapons file.

No immediate official comment was issued by the Lebanese army command on Graham’s remarks. Media reports said meetings with other U.S. officials were continuing, according to BBC Arabic.

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