A senior Hezbollah official has told Reuters the group is willing to discuss its weapons with Lebanon’s president—on one condition: Israel must withdraw from southern Lebanon and halt its attacks.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, backed by the US, has pledged to bring all weapons under state control. Three political sources say he plans to open talks with Hezbollah soon.
Debate over Hezbollah’s arms has intensified since last year’s war with Israel and the fall of its Syrian ally, Bashar al-Assad. The 2024 conflict dealt a heavy blow to the group, killing top leaders, thousands of fighters, and crippling its rocket stockpile.
The Hezbollah official said any discussion on disarmament must be part of a national defence strategy—one that depends on Israel pulling out from five strategic hilltops in southern Lebanon.
