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Lebanon Moves Towards National Dialogue to Limit Weapons to State Control
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Conflicting statements from Hezbollah leadership between openness to dialogue and adherence to weapons indicate a political maneuver aimed at buying time and avoiding internal and external pressures
Statements have recently intensified in Lebanon regarding the necessity of launching a national dialogue to discuss the issue of disarming Hezbollah, especially after official sources revealed that the President of the Republic intends to launch this initiative soon, while Joseph Aoun warned of the dangers of any weapons remaining outside state authority.
The Lebanese President stated in a speech delivered from Baabda Palace on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the outbreak of the Lebanese civil war: "As long as we all agree that any weapons outside the framework of the state or its decision would endanger Lebanon's interest for more than one reason, it is time for us all to say: Lebanon is protected only by its state, its army, and its official security forces," according to the French News Agency.
Official sources told Al-Arabiya.net on Thursday that "the Presidents of the Republic and Parliament reached an agreement during their meeting days ago to start direct dialogue with Hezbollah to discuss the weapons issue."
The sources explained that "the dialogue will be direct with the party and focused only on the weapons issue, to be expanded later to include discussion of all illegal weapons (including Palestinian weapons), within the national security strategy proposed by the President of the Republic in his oath speech."
Aoun announced on Thursday that Hezbollah has shown flexibility on the issue of cooperation regarding weapons according to a specific timeline, as reported by the Lebanese presidency.
Simultaneously, Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah announced the party's readiness to discuss the "defense strategy."
During a press conference from Parliament, he said that the party is ready to enter into talks with the government about a "national defense strategy."
However, he considered that "serious discussion should focus on the facts related to Israeli aggressions and how to confront them within a national strategy and dialogue among those concerned about this nationalism."
He added that "the government is responsible for making any official effort to stop Israeli aggressions and should adhere to what was stated in its ministerial statement."
In the same context, Hezbollah MP Ali Fayad confirmed on Friday the party's openness to any internal dialogue process launched by the Lebanese state to address pending issues, indicating the party's commitment to international resolution 1701 and the ceasefire with Israel.
However, during a speech at an honorary ceremony in Beirut's southern suburbs, he considered that "pressure on the Lebanese army to disarm Hezbollah, financially besieging Lebanon, preventing aid, and obstructing the reconstruction process constitutes a direct threat to Lebanese stability."
He expressed his dissatisfaction with "some political entities and personalities in Lebanon exceeding the rules of political rivalry to a state of hostility."
The issue of limiting weapons to state control, alongside Hezbollah's weapons, represents a complex issue in Lebanon, where President Aoun emphasized in his speech on his election day his rejection of any weapons outside the state framework.
The ceasefire agreement that began implementation on November 27, 2025, stipulated Hezbollah's withdrawal from areas south of the Litani River, dismantling its positions, the deployment of the Lebanese army in the south, in addition to implementing UN Resolution 1701, and restricting weapons to the official Lebanese authorities.
The United States and its envoys who visited Lebanon have repeatedly emphasized the importance of ending the issue of Hezbollah's weapons.
