Lebanese Army Chief Rodolphe Haykal met this week with top US military official General Dan Kane, following the cancellation of Haykal’s previously planned Washington visit. A spokesperson confirmed on Thursday that Kane met Haykal on Tuesday and Qatar’s defense chief the day before. The meetings reaffirmed the importance of the United States’ enduring defense relationships in the Middle East.

Haykal’s Washington trip, scheduled for November 2025, was canceled just hours before departure after US political and military officials withdrew from all planned meetings. Reports at the time indicated that influential Republican Senator Lindsey Graham played a role in the decision. Graham had accused Haykal of failing to take effective steps to disarm Hezbollah and said their meeting was abruptly shortened after he questioned whether Lebanon’s military considered Hezbollah a terrorist organization.

Last month, the Lebanese army announced completion of the first phase of its plan to disarm Hezbollah, implemented between the Israeli border and the Litani River region.