Hezbollah vows to fight disarmament as Lebanon PM slams civil war ‘threats’
Militant leader Naim Qassem warned that the state would bear responsibility for ‘any internal explosion and any destruction’ of the country
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem vowed Friday to fight government plans to disarm his group, with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam accusing him of making “unacceptable” threats to unleash civil war.
Qassem gave a televised address after meeting with Iran’s security chief, Ali Larijani, whose country has long backed the Lebanese militant group.
Hezbollah emerged badly weakened from last year’s war with Israel, and the Lebanese government – under US pressure – has ordered the army to draw up a plan to disarm the group by the end of the year.
Iran, whose so-called “axis of resistance” includes Hezbollah, has also suffered a series of setbacks, most recently in its own war with Israel, which also saw the United States strike its nuclear facilities.
“The government is implementing an American-Israeli order to end the resistance, even if it leads to civil war and internal strife,” Qassem said.
“The resistance will not surrender its weapons while aggression continues, occupation persists, and we will fight it … if necessary to confront this American-Israeli project no matter the cost.”
He urged the government “not to hand over the country to an insatiable Israeli aggressor or an American tyrant with limitless greed”, adding the state would “bear responsibility for any internal explosion and any destruction of Lebanon”.