Lebanese President: My Goal is to Disarm Hezbollah

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun indicated that he aims to achieve Hezbollah’s disarmament by 2025. He referred to Iraq’s experience with the Popular Mobilization Forces, stating,

“We will not repeat the experience of the Popular Mobilization Forces by integrating Hezbollah into the army. Furthermore, Hezbollah will not function as an independent unit within the army; their members can join the army after the recruitment period like members of other Lebanese parties.”

Aoun expressed his agreement with Nabih Berri on this matter, stating that the decision to limit weapons to those in the hands of the government has been made. He noted that the process for implementing disarmament should be determined through dialogue with Hezbollah leaders.

Clearly, Joseph Aoun is pursuing the objective of disarming Hezbollah in alignment with the demands of the United States, Israel, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, claiming that this is a Lebanese demand. However, one must ask: who in Lebanon would want the resistance to surrender and forfeit the weapons that provide protection against Israel?

The recent removal of banners honoring the martyred leaders of the resistance—from Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Saleh Al-Arouri to Imam Musa Sadr—across the walls and streets of Beirut is one of the smallest consequences of this misguided trend, indicating that more serious repercussions may lie ahead for the resistance.