Fascinating developments with the Lebanese government trying to push the disarmament of Hezbollah. Obviously, the Lebanese parties interested in seeing Hezbollah disarmed do not want the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to go to all-out war with Hezbollah, thereby sparking another Lebanese civil war, but would prefer a peaceful disarmament agreement.
I would be surprised if Lebanon’s government comes to a disarmament agreement that would have Hezbollah disarmed by the end of 2025, but it’s not impossible.
And, of course, Iran is still trying to funnel money to Hezbollah through Iraq and Syria. No easy task considering the geopolitical situation in Syria. Hezbollah used to receive finance and arms through Assad’s Syria. Now the organization is virtually cut off from Syria, which is governed by a Hezbollah enemy, al-Sharaa’s Sunni Islamist anti-Shia government. Nonetheless, where there is a will, there is a way, “according to U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who visited Lebanon on August 26 with a bipartisan congressional delegation, the United States has precise intelligence that $500 million had reached Hezbollah in recent weeks alone.”
And there is the question about the Palestinian militants operating in Lebanon.
–RdM
Video: TRT News — Lebanese cabinet welcomes plan to disarm Hezbollah. (YouTube: https://youtu.be/jWo9RIqwkPc?si=ftcNFtJfCC2rOA5V)
The Lebanese Cabinet has welcomed the army’s plan to disarm Hezbollah, following a three-hour meeting that Hezbollah-aligned ministers walked out of. With the Iran-backed group still refusing to give up their weapons, the country remains on edge. Priyanka Navani reports from Beirut.
From the FDD, ‘As Lebanese Cabinet Meeting on Disarmament Ends Without Clear Commitments, Hezbollah Praises its ‘Wisdom and Reason’‘:
Latest Developments
- Government Disarmament Plan is an “Opportunity”: A senior Hezbollah official has responded positively to the Lebanese cabinet’s meeting to discuss a Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) plan to establish a state monopoly on weapons. Speaking to Reuters on September 6 following the meeting the previous day, Mahmoud Qmati said the plan offered “an opportunity to return to wisdom and reason, preventing the country from slipping into the unknown.” The three-hour cabinet meeting saw all five Shi’ite ministers walk out in protest before ending without a timeline for the disarmament of Hezbollah and other terrorist groups, with Lebanese Information Minister Paul Morcos telling reporters that the plan’s implementation “remains contingent upon the commitment of other parties, primarily Israel.”
- Israel Ready to Reduce IDF Presence in Lebanon: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled on August 25 that Israel was ready to scale back its military presence in Lebanon if the Lebanese government followed through with its promise to disarm Hezbollah. “Israel stands ready to support Lebanon in its efforts to disarm Hezbollah and to work together towards a more secure and stable future for both nations,” Netanyahu stated. He praised efforts by the Lebanese government, including its president and prime minister, on a “significant step” to “work towards the disarmament of Hezbollah by the end of 2025.”
- Iran Seeking New Mechanisms to Fund Hezbollah: Local Lebanese media outlets reported on September 5 that Iran has been increasing its efforts to transfer funds to Hezbollah, its proxy in Lebanon, through Iraq and Syria. According to the Al-Sharq Al-Awsat news outlet, both Syrian and Lebanese security officials have reported growing attempts by Iran to smuggle cash to Hezbollah, noting that some aid had likely been successfully delivered to the group while other shipments were intercepted. MTV Lebanon News, meanwhile, reported that, according to U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who visited Lebanon on August 26 with a bipartisan congressional delegation, the United States has precise intelligence that $500 million had reached Hezbollah in recent weeks alone.
To read more, see: https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2025/09/06/as-lebanese-cabinet-meeting-on-disarmament-ends-without-clear-commitments-hezbollah-praises-its-wisdom-and-reason/
Also see my previous postings:
- ‘Lebanon’s Risk In Disarming Palestinian Militias and Hezbollah. Look To The Past, 1969 TV News Report Shows Road to The Lebanon Civil War’: https://roycedemelo.com/2025/08/22/lebanons-risk-in-disarming-palestinian-militias-and-hezbollah-look-to-the-past-1969-tv-news-report-shows-road-to-the-lebanon-civil-war/
- Lebanon Finally Elects a New President, a Veteran of the Battle of Elimination, and a Coincidence: https://roycedemelo.com/2025/01/10/lebanon-finally-elects-a-new-president-a-veteran-of-the-battle-of-elimination/