Lebanese Foreign Minister Urges Disarmament of Hezbollah, Not Targeting Shiite Community

Lebanese Foreign Minister Joseph Aoun emphasized in a recent interview with the French weekly Journal du Dimanche that the Lebanese government is committed to dismantling Hezbollah's military capabilities. He highlighted that President Joseph Aoun's visit to the White House helped break the deadlock over pilot zones, with the Lebanese army beginning deployment in one such area, aiming to ensure all regions are free of weapons not held by state security forces.

Foreign Minister Joseph Reji stated that the Lebanese government decided a year and a half ago to disarm Hezbollah and declare all its military activities illegal, reversing previous tolerance of the group's armed status. He stressed the government's determination to restore full state authority, which requires dismantling Hezbollah's military infrastructure and confiscating its weapons.

Reji clarified that the issue is with Hezbollah as an organization, not the Shiite community, describing Hezbollah as Lebanese in name but fundamentally Iranian in nature. He rejected separating Hezbollah's military and political wings, asserting that disarmament is the top priority, while its political role is a secondary matter. He also noted that a growing segment of Lebanese society, including within the Shiite community, supports the state's monopoly on force, though many hesitate to express this publicly due to safety concerns.