Lebanese Government Instructs Army to Develop Plan for State Monopoly on Weapons as Hezbollah Refuses to Disarm

Latest Developments

‘Strengthening the Authority of the State’: Lebanon’s cabinet on August 5 tasked the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) with developing a plan by the end of 2025 to consolidate all arms in the country under state security forces, presenting a direct challenge to Iran’s Lebanese proxy Hezbollah. “We are committed to strengthening the authority of the state,” said Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam following the nearly six-hour-long meeting held at Lebanon’s presidential palace, adding that the LAF had “been instructed to prepare a detailed plan to ensure that all arms in the country are brought under legitimate government oversight by year’s end.” The move was decided upon following Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s calls on July 31 for Hezbollah’s disarmament.
Hezbollah’s Qassem Defiant: The announcement followed a defiant televised speech by Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem, who told the Lebanese government not to “waste time on the storms stirred up by external dictates,” referring to U.S. demands for Beirut to disarm the terrorist organization. “Solve the problem of the (Israeli) aggression, and then we will discuss the issue of the weapons,” he added. Qassem also threatened that missiles would be launched against “the Israeli entity, and all the security they have built over eight months will collapse within an hour” were Israel to engage in “large-scale aggression” against Lebanon.
U.S. Pressure on Beirut: Lebanon’s latest step toward implementing a state monopoly on domestic arms comes amidst increasing pressure on Beirut to formally commit to disarming Hezbollah. Without this commitment, Washington will no longer dispatch U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and regional envoy Tom Barrack to oversee negotiations with the Lebanese government, nor press Israel to halt military operations and withdraw from the country. “The credibility of Lebanon’s government rests on its ability to match principle with practice,” Barrack stated on July 27, adding, “As long as Hezbollah retains arms, words will not suffice.”

FDD Expert Response

“The Lebanese government tasking the LAF with drawing up a plan to monopolize arms is a tremendous first step for Lebanon — one that resulted from relentless Israeli military and American diplomatic pressure, not from Lebanese opposition or imaginary Shia defections from Hezbollah’s support base. That same pressure must be maintained to get Lebanon to carry this decision to the finish line and finally disarm Hezbollah while reminding the Lebanese government that if it squanders this historic opportunity, it is on its own.” — David Daoud, Senior Fellow

“Qassem’s defiance regarding the Lebanese government’s apparent plan to create a viable roadmap to disarm Hezbollah placed the government and Hezbollah on a collision course. The United States should be cautious with any optimism over this announcement, as there is always the likelihood of the Lebanese government backtracking out of fear of a potential confrontation with Hezbollah and its Shia support base.” — Ahmad Sharawi, Research Analyst