PUBLISHED on August 7, 2025, 08:11 AM EST – Hezbollah leader Sheikh Naim Qassem has rejected a U.S.-backed proposal to disarm the Iran-aligned militia, calling the Lebanese cabinet’s recent move to establish a state monopoly on weapons a “grave sin” and threatening retaliation if Israel further escalates its military activity along the border.
The Lebanese cabinet this week approved a plan authorizing the army to confine all weapons in the country to six official state security forces by the end of the year, posing an unprecedented challenge to Hezbollah’s military presence and influence.
The plan, reportedly pushed by U.S. officials and supported by Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, aims to secure foreign assistance by reducing the influence of non-state armed groups.
Key Context
Hezbollah, a Shi’ite militia and political party based in Lebanon, has long served as Iran’s most prominent proxy force in the Middle East. Operating as a state within a state, Hezbollah is heavily armed and has carried out numerous attacks against Israeli and U.S. interests, often with direct support or encouragement from Tehran.
Its secretary-general, Sheikh Naim Qassem, is a senior cleric and central ideological figure in the group, known for articulating Hezbollah’s hardline positions against Western influence.
His dismissal of a U.S.-backed disarmament proposal, though not surprising, reflects Hezbollah’s long-established defiance and poses new problems for Washington. Weakening the military wing of the group would be a major blow for Iran’s weakening regional influence and significantly reduce the threat to Israel – which explains both why the U.S. supports the plan, and Hezbollah does not.
What Qassem Said
On Tuesday, Qassem threatened a new war with Israel in a speech made while Lebanon’s cabinet discussed the matter.
“Are we being asked to engage in dialogue, or to surrender our weapons without dialogue?” Qassem said, adding that his group will not accept Lebanon “committing to gradually giving up its strength while all the strength cards remain in the hands of the Israeli enemy.”
Qassem said that “any timetable” for implementation of the proposed new laws would constitute “Israeli aggression” and “cannot be agreed to.” He added that Hezbollah will not agree to any deal “other than the existing deal between the Lebanese state and the Israeli entity,” referring to a ceasefire agreed in November 2024.
The ceasefire ended a year-long conflict that resulted in the deaths of 5,000 Hezbollah fighters and 13,000 injuries – figures cited by Qassem himself.
U.S. Special Envoy Tom Barrack has been leading negotiations in Beirut, proposing that Hezbollah surrender its arms in exchange for an Israeli withdrawal, a halt to airstrikes, and funding for postwar reconstruction.
About the Author:
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society. His latest book is The Truth Teller: RFK Jr. and the Case for a Post-Partisan Presidency.
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