Disarmament debate exposes Hezbollah’s fear of a sovereign Lebanon

Hezbollah’s secretary-general Naïm Kassem lashed out on Saturday at Lebanese voices calling for the state’s monopoly over weapons, in other words, the full disarmament of his organization. 

Without surprise, he dismissed this demand as an “Israeli-American claim.”

The rhetoric is familiar. The tone is harsher. And the timing is revealing.

Kassem attacked what he called “groups under American tutelage,” accusing them of encouraging Israeli aggression. His main target was Lebanon’s foreign minister Joe Raggi, a leading figure of the Lebanese Forces, whom he accused of aligning with Israel and “dragging Lebanon toward civil war.”

This accusation turns reality upside down.

It is not Joe Raggi who armed a parallel militia.
It is not Joe Raggi who imposed a state within the state.
It is not Joe Raggi who tied Lebanon’s fate to Tehran’s regional agenda.

Raggi has been one of the clearest voices defending a simple principle: no country can survive without sovereignty. He recently stated that Hezbollah’s arsenal has become “a burden on the Shiite community” and warned that as long as weapons remain outside state control, Israel will continue to justify its military actions under existing agreements. This is not extremism. It is realism.

Kassem’s speech comes as pressure mounts. The Lebanese president has openly urged Hezbollah to act “reasonably” regarding the handover of its weapons. 

More importantly, the Lebanese Armed Forces completed in early January the first phase of Hezbollah’s disarmament south of the Litani River. Further phases are scheduled to cover the entire country starting in February.

Hezbollah’s refusal to disarm north of the Litani exposes its real fear: losing control.

For decades, Hezbollah has ruled Lebanon through intimidation, arms, and foreign loyalty. Forty years of dominance have left the country exhausted, economically shattered, diplomatically isolated, and politically paralyzed. A growing majority of Lebanese no longer accept this reality. 

They want a normal state. One army. One decision-maker.

Kassem also used his speech to echo Tehran’s narrative, claiming recent protests in Iran aimed to overthrow the “Iran of resistance.” Aligning himself with Ali Khamenei, he accused U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of orchestrating unrest.

Once again, Hezbollah speaks not as a Lebanese movement, but as an Iranian proxy.

The truth is stark. Hezbollah’s threats are not a show of strength. They are a sign of decline. Disarmament will take time, but its principle is now established. The era of unchecked militias is ending.

Joe Raggi’s firmness reflects a national awakening. Lebanon’s future will not be decided by armed factions or foreign capitals. It will be decided by a state reclaiming its authority, slowly, painfully, but inevitably.

Hezbollah can shout. Lebanon is moving on.