Haykal's visit to US cancelled as senators lash out at Lebanon army

A scheduled visit of Army chief Rodolphe Haykal to the U.S. was cancelled amid tensions between the army and Washington.

Media reports said some of Haykal's meetings were cancelled, prompting him to cancel the visit.

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham posted Monday on the X platform that the Lebanese Armed Forces are not "a very good investment for America."

He criticized Haykal in the post, saying that "it is clear that the Lebanese Chief Head of Defense -- because of a reference to Israel as the enemy and his weak almost non-existent effort to disarm Hezbollah -- is a giant setback for efforts to move Lebanon forward."

Another senator said that Haykal is "shamefully directing blame at Israel" instead of seizing the opportunity to free Lebanon "from Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorists".

These posts came after the Lebanese Army condemned Israel's attacks on Lebanon and accused it of violating Lebanon's sovereignty and obstructing the deployment of the army in south Lebanon.

The army was tasked by the government to disarm Hezbollah, under American pressure. The army says it is implementing the plan but that strikes on south Lebanon are obstructing its deployment.

A ceasefire monitoring committee chaired by the U.S. has been reportedly pressuring the army to search private homes in south Lebanon for weapons, a request that the army refused to do.

On Monday, Speaker Nabih Berri said the ceasefire committee is monitoring and accusing the army instead of condemning Israel's violations.

Israel has kept up its attacks on south and east Lebanon and is occupying five "strategic" hills in the south, despite the ceasefire reached in November last year.