US urges Hezbollah to disarm, calls it key to Lebanon’s security

The US State Department has affirmed that the Lebanese government is the sole legitimate authority empowered to discuss Lebanon’s future and speak on behalf of its people, stressing that achieving a secure and sovereign Lebanon requires the disarmament of Hezbollah.

In a post on X on Saturday, the State Department said the “tripartite framework” agreement between the United States, Lebanon, and Israel clearly stipulates that only the Lebanese government has the authority to engage in any discussions about the country’s future.

Washington reiterated its support for the Lebanese people and its desire for Lebanon to be “a safe and sovereign country,” noting that this goal depends on ending Hezbollah’s possession of weapons outside the state’s framework.

The State Department stated it “wants nothing more than for Hezbollah to hand over its weapons,” adding that when the group is ready to do so, it can contact the Lebanese government and inform it of its readiness to disarm, which would help bridge differences.

View the post on X

Washington also said that Hezbollah currently does not wish to engage with the Lebanese government, the United States, or Israel, adding that the group “simply takes its orders from Iran.”

The State Department concluded its message by stressing that it is time for Hezbollah to do what it described as “best for Lebanon and the Lebanese people.”

The US position comes a day after Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem reiterated the group’s rejection of the framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel, insisting that Hezbollah will not surrender.