Lebanon moves to disarm Hezbollah amid escalating regional tensions |
Lebanon has taken a dramatic and potentially historic step in its internal security policy by formally banning the military and security activities of Hezbollah, marking a major shift in the country’s long-standing approach toward the powerful Iranian-backed armed group.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced on March 2, that the government has ordered Hezbollah to surrender its weapons to the state, declaring that all armed operations conducted outside official state structures are now illegal. The Lebanese premier confirmed that the Lebanese Army would begin implementing a comprehensive disarmament plan immediately.
The move comes amid rising regional tensions and follows an overnight missile strike into northern Israel that Hezbollah claimed responsibility for. According to the group, the attack was carried out in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a joint US-Israeli operation on February 28.
In his official statement, Salam stressed that Hezbollah’s actions contradicted Lebanon’s declared national policy of avoiding involvement in the widening regional conflict. He warned that unilateral military operations by non-state actors risk dragging the fragile country into a war it cannot afford.
“Lebanon rejects being pulled into the ongoing regional war,” Salam said, adding that the state must assert its........