Lebanon (BN24) – Hezbollah on Friday issued a stark warning that Lebanon “will have no life” if the government proceeds with efforts to disarm or dismantle the Iran-backed group, raising the specter of renewed civil conflict.
The remarks from Hezbollah deputy leader Naim Qassem came as the Lebanese government, under a U.S.-backed plan, seeks to place all weapons under state control following Israel’s extended military campaign against the group. Founded four decades ago with support from Tehran’s Revolutionary Guards, Hezbollah has long resisted disarmament, insisting it will not lay down arms until Israel ends its strikes and withdraws from a southern border strip once considered a Hezbollah stronghold.
“This is our nation together. We live in dignity together, and we build its sovereignty together — or Lebanon will have no life if you stand on the other side and try to confront us and eliminate us,” Qassem said in a televised address.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam described the comments as an implicit threat of civil war, calling them “unacceptable.” In remarks posted on X from an interview with the pan-Arab daily Asharq Al-Awsat, Salam reiterated that “no party in Lebanon is authorised to bear arms outside the framework of the Lebanese state.”
Qassem accused the government of carrying out “an American-Israeli order to eliminate the resistance, even if that leads to civil war and internal strife.” However, he noted that Hezbollah and its Shi’ite ally, the Amal movement, had agreed to hold off on street protests while political discussions remain possible.
“There is still room for discussion, for adjustments, and for a political resolution before the situation escalates to a confrontation no one wants,” Qassem said. “But if it is imposed on us, we are ready, and we have no other choice… At that point, there will be a protest in the street, all across Lebanon, that will reach the American embassy.”
The current standoff follows two years of Israeli military operations that have inflicted heavy losses on Hezbollah, killing senior commanders, including longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah, and thousands of fighters while destroying much of the group’s arsenal. The conflict between Hezbollah and Israel reignited in October 2023 when the group launched cross-border fire in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas during the outbreak of the Gaza war.
While Hezbollah and Amal continue to wield political influence — controlling Shi’ite seats in parliament and placing ministers in the cabinet — they no longer hold a “blocking third” of cabinet posts, a key power they previously used to veto government decisions. Support for Hezbollah remains strong among Lebanon’s Shi’ite community, but calls for disarmament have grown louder across other parts of society.
