Edward Gabriel
The Hill, Aug. 13, 2025
“By launching this process, Lebanon’s leaders have sent a clear message to their citizens and to the world: They are committed to national unity, the rule of law and regional stability.”
Last week, the Lebanese government made a historic move toward restoring full authority over its territory by committing to disarm all groups possessing heavy weapons — most notably Hezbollah.
For more than four decades, Hezbollah has wielded both military and political power in Lebanon, undermining the country’s independence and destabilizing the region. Now, for the first time in years, the Lebanese state is acting to assert its sovereignty and assert control nationwide — a move unimaginable just a year ago, when the militia’s grip on the country seemed unshakable.
A devastating Israeli bombing campaign in Lebanon and Iran during the past year, followed by the loss of its most important ally with the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, dealt a devastating blow to Hezbollah’s infrastructure and military arsenal. However, the group, which continues to benefit from Iran’s support, retains some influence domestically, despite its isolation. Until it lays down its weapons, it remains a threat to the country and, indeed, to the region’s stability.
The U.S. envoy to Syria and current U.S. ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, recently put forth, after several rounds of talks in Beirut, a multi-phase plan to end the military escalation that has persisted between Hezbollah and Israel since the November 2024 ceasefire was signed by Israel and Lebanon.
Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and President Joseph Aoun recognized that without decisive action to support the U.S. proposal to dismantle Hezbollah’s arsenal once and for all, the Trump administration and its allies would reconsider future diplomatic and financial support to their war-torn, bankrupt nation. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who represents a large Shiite population in Lebanon, also acknowledged the importance of this pivotal moment when the government took its bold decision on Aug. 7 to fully disarm Hezbollah by the end of 2025. ….SOURCE