Lebanese Hezbollah chief rejects US pressure to disarm

Shafaq News – Beirut

On Friday, Lebanese Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem rejected the US proposal disarm the group as part of a wider post-war peace framework with Israel.

In a televised speech, Qassem noted that Lebanon faces an “existential threat,” affirming that Hezbollah’s arms are essential to national defense. “Disarmament, at this stage and in every proposal, is for the sake of Israel,” he stated.

Qassem also pushed back against international pressure, particularly from Washington and its allies, stressing the need for the continued cohesion between Lebanese efforts to ensure Israel complies with ceasefire obligations.

His remarks follow the delivery of a formal US request to the Lebanese government via Washington’s envoy to Syria, Thomas Barrack, who is expected to visit Beirut next week. Barrack’s proposal, delivered in mid-June, outlined a framework for Hezbollah’s disarmament.

The Lebanese government submitted its official seven-page response on July 7, calling for a negotiated process tied to Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territories, a cessation of hostilities, and the launch of reconstruction projects.