CNN
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Lebanon President Joseph Own said he hopes Iran-backed Hezbollah can be disarmed this year following an Israeli military campaign that was decapitated and heavily weakened by the group.
“I hope that Hezbollah’s weapons will be withdrawn or that their possession will be restricted to the state in 2025. This is what I am trying to do,” the US-backed president said in an interview with Al Arabi Al Jaedd released Tuesday.
Hezbollah formed in the aftermath of Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in the early 1980s, becoming a political and military force for its terrifying rivals within the country. Extremists have long resisted calls for disarming.
“As for Hezbollah members, they are ultimately Lebanese and if they want to join the army, they can take the so-called absorption course,” Aoun said, adding that the group is not permitted to function as a different unit in the Lebanese army.
However, he emphasized that this process can only be carried out through dialogue.
“We want to withdraw Hezbollah’s weapons, but we don’t want to ignite a civil war,” he said.
Experts say Hezbollah may prefer to hold its weapons, but Israel’s continued attacks on Lebanon along with weakening the group and pressure from the Lebanese government may make a previously unthinkable outlook a reality.
Until last year’s confrontation with Israel, Hezbollah was widely considered the most terrifying non-state armed group in the Middle East, with tens of thousands of missiles and well-trained military forces.
Aoun said the government has not yet told Hezbollah about the issue, but the chairman of Congressional Speaker Nabih Berri, a Shiite politician who has allied with extremist groups, “completely agrees” that the state should monopolize arms. Berri served as a mediator between Hezbollah and the United States in last year’s talks to reach a ceasefire with Israel last year.
Berri’s advisors did not reply to CNN requests for comments.
Some experts say that Aoun is facing pressure from both Israel and the US to disarm Hezbollah immediately, but he is still wary of the unstable situation he is in.
“Aoun said he was trying to implement a state monopoly this year, but he didn’t actually commit to that time frame,” David Woods, a senior Lebanese analyst at the International Crisis Group think tank, told CNN. “(Aoun) fully understands the delicate position of the state, based on Hezbollah, who, despite his great losses during the war, presumably retains his majestic military capabilities.”
Last week, Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah said at a press conference that the group is ready to talk to the Lebanese government on the country’s defense strategy. Woods said the offer means that Aoun’s proposal “may appear to be unconfrontational.”
Asked about the failure of previous attempts to discuss Hezbollah’s weapons, Aoun said the situation in the region has changed and refers to Iran’s “development” against regional allied militias.
Woods said Hezbollah relies on an armed struggle with Israel and relies on its struggle against Israel. “After last year’s tragic war with Israel, it remains unclear whether the party will be able to find an alternative source of political legitimacy.”
Aoun said the presence of Israeli authorities in southern Lebanon “is giving Hezbollah an excuse,” urged the US to pressure Israel to withdraw.
The Lebanese government has repeatedly condemned Israel’s continued strikes against its territory, calling them a violation of its sovereignty and a violation of the US-brokered ceasefire agreement.
Asked whether Lebanon could engage in normalization consultations with Israel if Israeli forces retreat, Aoun said that “anything is possible” in politics, but the situation on earth would determine reality.
“Americans now know that normalization or peace negotiations with Israel are impossible. The key for us today is establishing long-term stability at our borders,” he said.
A full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah remains possible, but unlikely, he said, adding that Hezbollah recently “showed a sense of responsibility despite the great losses of those suffering.”
“In the end, the possibility remains a continuation of the attack (Israel),” Aoun said. “Therefore, we always repeat. Let’s negotiate with Hezbollah.”
Disarmament in Hezbollah can have a major impact on local dynamics. Just a few months ago, the group was considered representatives of Iran’s most powerful region and was engaged in attacks with Israeli forces until the Israeli campaign killed many senior security guards. Hezbollah – Ali Bashar al-Assad’s fall in neighbouring Syria also weakened the group.
As Lebanon has been caught up in a continuing cross-border conflict with Israel and a long-standing economic meltdown, Hezbollah could face pressure from its own constituency to abandon its arm, Woods said. Disarming could remove obstacles to providing post-war reconstruction aid. “A lot of Hezbollah supporters desperately need it.”
Iran, the group’s backer, may also use it as a negotiation tool in nuclear talks with the Trump administration and exchange it for “support for the group in negotiations,” Woods added.
Iran has been in talks with the US over its nuclear program. Delegations from both countries will meet in Oman last weekend and will hold a second round of talks on Saturday.