Lebanese President backs down from plan to disarm Hezbollah

Pars Today – The Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar reported that the President of Lebanon, facing U.S. and Western pressure to implement a plan to disarm Hezbollah, has stated that such a move is impossible to achieve by force and would lead to civil war.

According to Al-Akhbar, President Joseph Aoun told American and European mediators that the Lebanese Army is not capable of confronting Hezbollah and that any attempt to disarm the movement would trigger internal conflict.

Aoun emphasized that Hezbollah’s stance on defending its weapons is not merely a political maneuver, and that everyone in Lebanon is aware of the seriousness of this position.

These remarks come as U.S. envoy Tom Barrack, ahead of his visit to Beirut, issued a threatening message to Lebanese officials, demanding that they either begin direct negotiations with Israel to set a timeline for disarming Hezbollah or be left to their own.

According to Pars Today, quoting IRNA, Morgan Ortagus, U.S. Deputy Envoy for Lebanon, in a meeting with President Joseph Aoun and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, emphasized the monopoly of weapons in the hands of the state and the start of new negotiations with Tel Aviv. Berri, however, said this stance contradicts the commitments of both sides under the ceasefire framework and reaffirmed Lebanon’s adherence to previous agreements.

In recent months, the Lebanese cabinet, under pressure from Washington and in the absence of Shia representatives, approved a plan to disarm Hezbollah, which has faced strong opposition from resistance groups. Sheikh Naim Qassem, Secretary-General of Hezbollah, described the move as “dangerous” and serving Israel’s interests, emphasizing that the government should focus on defending national sovereignty rather than handing the country over to the enemy. Analysts believe the recent stance of the Lebanese president signals a retreat in the face of foreign pressure and an understanding of the security consequences of disarming the resistance.