Hezbollah chief rejects disarmament as pressure on Lebanon mounts

31/7/2025 5:58

Lebanon's Hezbollah leader

Sheikh Naim Qassem said on Wednesday that calls for the

Iran-aligned militant group's disarmament served only Israel, as

the United States ramps up pressure for steps to remove its

arsenal.



"Those who call for submitting arms practically demand

submitting them to Israel ... We will not submit to Israel,"

Qassem said in a televised address.



Hezbollah emerged badly damaged from a war with Israel last

year that eliminated most of the group's leadership, killed

thousands of its fighters and left tens of thousands of its

supporters displaced from their destroyed homes.



The U.S. is now pushing Lebanon to issue a formal cabinet

decision committing to disarm Hezbollah before talks can resume

on a halt to Israeli military operations in the country, five

sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.



Hezbollah has publicly refused to hand over its arsenal in

full, but has privately weighed scaling it back.



"Those who call for disarmament on a domestic, global or

Arab level serve the Israeli project," Qassem said.



He also said the U.S. was demanding a removal of Hezbollah's

missiles and drones because they "scare" Israel, accusing U.S.

special envoy Thomas Barrack of calling for disarmament for the

sake of Israel and not Lebanon's own security.



"Israel will not be able to defeat us and it will not be

able to take Lebanon hostage," he added.



In early July, Barrack met Lebanese officials in Beirut to

discuss the disarmament proposal. It would see Hezbollah fully

disarmed within four months in exchange for the withdrawal of

Israeli troops occupying several posts in south Lebanon and a

halt to Israeli air strikes.



Hezbollah has been under pressure in recent months both

within Lebanon and from Washington to completely relinquish its

weaponry.