Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Wednesday that he hopes to disarm the militant group Hezbollah-supported by Iran-this year after an Israeli military operation that made the group significantly weakened.
“We hope that Hezbollah’s weapons will be removed or that his possession will be restricted to the state in 2025, which is why I am struggling,” said the president supported by the United States during an interview with Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.
Hezbollah was formed after the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in the early 1980s, and grew up becoming a rival political and military force within the country. Militants have long resisted appeals to disarm.
“As for Hezbollah members, they are ultimately Lebanese, and if they want to join the army, they can undergo absorption courses,” said Aoun, adding that the group will not be allowed to function as a distinct unit within the Lebanese army.
He emphasized, however, that the process can only be done through dialogue.
“We want to remove weapons from Hezbollah, but we don’t want to ignite a civil war,” he said.
Experts say that while Hezbollah may prefer to maintain their weapons, Israeli attacks against the group, along with the pressure of the Lebanese government, can make a reality that once was inconceivable.
Prior to the conflict against Israel last year, Hezbollah was widely considered a non-state armed group, with tens of thousands of missiles and a well-trained military force.
Aoun said the government has not yet talked to Hezbollah about the matter, but that Parliament President Nabih Berri, a Shiite politician allied to the militant group, “is in full agreement” that the state must have a monopoly on the weapons. Berri served as a mediator between Hezbollah and the US in negotiations last year to reach a ceasefire with Israel.
A Berri counselor did not respond to a request from the CNN to comment.
AOUN’s “delicate position”
Some experts say that while Aoun is facing pressure from Israel and the United States to quickly disarm Hezbollah, he is cautious about his delicate situation.
“Aoun said he will strive to introduce a state monopoly on weapons this year, but he has not committed to this deadline,” he told the CNN David Woods, senior analyst at Lebanon at Think Tank International Crisis Group. “(AOUN) Fully comprises the delicate position of the state in relation to Hezbollah, which probably maintains a threatening military capacity despite its heavy losses during the war.”
Last week, Hezbollah’s parliamentarian Hassan Fadlallah said at a press conference that the group is ready to dialogue with the Lebanese government about the country’s defense strategy.
Asked about the failure of previous attempts to discuss Hezbollah’s weapons, Aoun said the regional situation had changed, pointing to Iran’s “developing position” in relation to allied militias in the region.
Hezbollah has trusted his armed struggle against Israel to improve his popular support, Woods said. “After last year’s disastrous war with Israel, it is still unclear if the party can find a source of substitute political legitimacy.”
Aoun said he told the US authorities that Israel’s presence in southern Lebanon “gives Hezbollah a pretext” to remain armed, installing the US to press Israel to withdraw.
The Government of Lebanon repeatedly condemned the continuous Israeli attacks on their territory, calling them a violation of their sovereignty and a violation of the US mediated ceasefire agreement.
Asked if it is possible for Lebanon to enter into standardization negotiations with Israel, if the Israeli army withdraws, Aoun said that while “everything is possible” in politics, circumstances on the ground dictate reality.
“Americans currently know that standardization or peace negotiations with Israel are impossible, and the key to us today is to establish long -term stability on the border,” he said.
Israel-Hezbollah war
The total war between Israel and Hezbollah remains a possibility, but it is unlikely, he said, adding that Hezbollah recently “showed a sense of responsibility despite the heavy human losses he suffered.”
“Ultimately, the possibility remains with the continuation of the attacks (Israeli),” said Aoun. “So we always repeat: let’s negotiate with Hezbollah.”
Hezbollah disarmament could have a significant impact on regional dynamics. Just a few months ago, the group was seen as Iran’s most powerful regional prosecutor, engaging in retaliatory attacks with the Israeli army until an Israeli campaign killed many of its senior guards. Hezbollah ally toppling Bashar al-Assad in neighboring Syria also weakened the group.
As Lebanon moves away from an ongoing conflict with Israel and years of economic collapse, Hezbollah can also face pressure from his own electorate to testify his weapons, Woods said. Disarmament could remove obstacles to the delivery of help to postwar reconstruction, “that many Hezbollah supporters need desperately.”
The group sponsor, Iran, can also use this as a negotiating tool in their conversations about the Nuclear Program with the Trump administration, exchanging “their group support in negotiations,” added Woods.
Iran went into negotiations with the US about its nuclear program. Delegations from both countries gathered in Oman last weekend, and are expected to hold a second round of conversations on Saturday.
This content was originally published in President of Lebanon says he intends to disarm Hezbollah this year on CNN Brazil.
Source: CNN Brasil
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