US urges Hezbollah to hand over arms
Shafaq News- Washington
The US Embassy in Beirut on Saturday called on Hezbollah to prepare to hand over its weapons, saying disarmament would benefit Lebanon and could allow Washington to help bridge differences between the group and the Lebanese government.
The embassy quoted a US State Department spokesperson as saying that the trilateral framework clearly establishes the Lebanese government as the only legitimate authority to discuss Lebanon’s future and speak on behalf of its people. “But as it stands, Hizballah [Hezbollah] so far does not want to talk to the Lebanese state, nor talk to us, nor talk to Israel, because it is simply taking orders from Iran.”
In response to a media inquiry from @ThisIsBeirut_ , a U.S. Department of State spokesperson said: The Trilateral Framework clearly states that the Lebanese Government is the sole legitimate interlocutor for discussions about the future of Lebanon and on behalf of the Lebanese…
— U.S. Embassy Beirut (@usembassybeirut) August 29, 2026
The US remarks followed Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem’s rejection on August 28 of the trilateral framework and direct Lebanese negotiations with Israel. Qassem said Hezbollah would adhere only to the November 27, 2024, agreement reached under UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and called for a return to indirect talks through a mediator other than Washington. He also opposed calls for Hezbollah to surrender its weapons, arguing that Israel would continue to cite the group’s arms to justify military action.
Read more: A weapons-free Srifa: Southern Lebanese return home without feeling safe
