U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of President Donald Trump and a long-standing critic of Hezbollah, said the Middle East cannot achieve “normalization” while the Iran-backed group continues to operate.
Lindsey Graham © Mena Today
U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of President Donald Trump and a long-standing critic of Hezbollah, said the Middle East cannot achieve “normalization” while the Iran-backed group continues to operate.
In a post on X, Graham voiced hope that Hamas would respond positively to Trump’s peace proposal for Gaza, but stressed: “The Middle East cannot be normalized until Hezbollah is out of the equation. Hezbollah is not normal — it is a fanatical terrorist group with American blood on its hands, dedicated to Israel’s destruction.”
He urged: “If you want normalization, disarm Hezbollah, one way or another.”
During a recent trip to Jerusalem, Graham said Hezbollah’s disarmament was non-negotiable and suggested Washington would give Israel a “green light” to act if the group refused to hand over its heavy weapons to the Lebanese army. His comments came a day after visiting Beirut with fellow lawmakers and U.S. envoys Tom Barrack and Morgan Ortagus.
Lebanon’s government approved the principle of restoring the state’s monopoly on weapons in August, and the army presented a disarmament plan in September, which includes Hezbollah.
In response, Hezbollah MP Ibrahim Moussaoui condemned what he called an “intense campaign” to force the group’s surrender under the slogan of disarmament. Moussaoui, recently appointed head of Hezbollah’s media body, framed the push as part of a wider effort targeting Lebanon and Iran.
Senior Hezbollah official Mohammad Raad on Monday delivered a sharp rebuke of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s government, accusing it of bowing to foreign pressure after its recent decision to enforce a monopoly of arms under the state.
Lebanese armed group Hezbollah on Saturday commemorated one year since leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed by Israel, the opening salvo of a war that ultimately battered his once-powerful group and left swathes of Lebanon in ruins.
Lebanese authorities will on Friday release former central bank governor Riad Salameh, who posted a record-high bail after nearly 13 months in detention over alleged financial crimes committed during his tenure, a Lebanese judicial source said.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.
