Plans are under discussion to deploy American and British teams alongside the Lebanese Army in southern Lebanon as part of emerging security arrangements aimed at consolidating state authority and preventing the return of armed groups outside government control, according to information obtained by Nidaa Al-Watan.

The proposal, currently being examined as part of ongoing negotiations in Washington, would place U.S. and British personnel in what negotiators refer to as the "yellow zone," operating in full coordination with the Lebanese Army to help stabilize the area and support the deployment of legitimate state forces.

The initiative reflects a broader shift in international efforts concerning southern Lebanon, where discussions have moved beyond maintaining a ceasefire and toward establishing a new security framework centered on the Lebanese state and its military institutions.

Negotiations underway in Washington are focused on several unresolved issues, including mechanisms to support the Lebanese Army in extending sole authority across the south and ensuring that Hezbollah and Iranian Revolutionary Guard personnel are removed from the area.

Sources familiar with the talks said upcoming meetings scheduled for June 22, 23 and 24 are expected to be among the most significant since negotiations began, as they will bring together both military and diplomatic officials and move discussions from broad political principles to implementation details.

Security arrangements are expected to dominate the agenda, particularly issues related to military deployment, monitoring mechanisms and coordination among the parties involved.

The talks are also expected to examine in greater depth the concept of so-called "pilot zones," which are being considered as a first stage before any wider security arrangements are expanded elsewhere in southern Lebanon.

According to sources following the negotiations, Washington views these areas as a practical test of the next phase, while Lebanese officials see them as an opportunity to demonstrate the army's ability to secure territory with direct international backing.

Diplomatic sources said the proposal involving American and British teams forms part of a broader strategy aimed at strengthening Lebanese state institutions rather than creating an alternative security force.

"The objective is not to replace the Lebanese Army but to provide a support framework that enables it to exercise full authority on the ground," one diplomatic source said.

The discussions come amid growing international consensus that the previous security model has reached its limits.

Diplomatic sources said the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), at least in its traditional form, has effectively exhausted its usefulness after years of deployment that failed to prevent weapons stockpiling or dismantle Hezbollah's military infrastructure south of the Litani River.

As a result, renewing UNIFIL under the same mechanisms is no longer viewed internationally as a sufficient response to the challenges facing southern Lebanon.

Several alternatives have been explored in recent months, including proposals for a stronger European military role. However, those ideas encountered political obstacles.

According to the sources, Washington remains dissatisfied with French President Emmanuel Macron's handling of the Lebanese file in recent years, while Israel has expressed reservations about arrangements that could replicate previous European-led approaches.

That has increased interest in Britain as a potential partner in future security arrangements.

British officials are viewed as having a successful track record with the Lebanese Army after helping establish and equip four land border regiments deployed along Lebanon's eastern and northern frontiers. Officials familiar with the discussions say that cooperation significantly strengthened the army's capabilities and improved border security.

Supporters of a larger British role argue that London enjoys broad credibility among the parties involved. It has strong ties with Washington, does not generate the same sensitivities associated with a traditional European presence and already maintains an operational relationship with the Lebanese military.

The United States, meanwhile, remains deeply involved through the ceasefire monitoring mechanism overseeing implementation of security understandings, as well as through its longstanding cooperation with the Lebanese Army.

Sources stressed that any future American role would not involve combat forces or military bases on Lebanese territory. Instead, U.S. participation would focus on supporting and accompanying the Lebanese Army as it expands its deployment and strengthens state control.