Ammon News - The U.S. is weighing in with Lebanon's government on the selection of the country's next central bank governor in a bid to curtail corruption and illicit financing for armed group Hezbollah through Lebanon's banking system, five sources familiar with the issue said.

Washington's feedback on the candidates for the top role in shaping Lebanon's monetary policy is the latest example of the U.S.' unusually hands-on approach to the Middle Eastern country, where a more than five-year financial crisis has collapsed the economy.

It also demonstrates the U.S.' continued focus on weakening Hezbollah.

Since then, Lebanon has elected U.S.-backed Joseph Aoun as president, and a new cabinet without a direct role for Hezbollah has taken power. That government must now fill vacant posts - including at the central bank, run by an interim governor since July 2023.

The U.S. is reviewing the profiles of a handful of candidates for the role, according to three Lebanese sources briefed on the issue, one Western diplomat and an official from U.S. President Donald Trump's administration.

The sources spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity to discuss Washington's role in the selection process, the details of which have not been previously reported.

U.S. officials met with some potential candidates in Washington and at the U.S. embassy in Lebanon, two of the Lebanese sources and the Trump administration official said. Reuters