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Tehran Is Pressing Hizbullah Not to Give Up Its Weapons

(JNS) Yaakov Lappin - The U.S. is pushing for a tangible disarmament process by Hizbullah in Lebanon. An American framework links a potential Israeli withdrawal from disputed border points to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) taking control of Hizbullah's remaining arsenal of illegal weapons. Col. (ret.) Dr. Jacques Neriah, a Middle East specialist at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs and former deputy head for assessment of Israeli Military Intelligence, said, "One should not expect aggressive action by the Lebanese army against Hizbullah. It is clear to everyone that Hizbullah is doing what it can to hide its weapons and is aware of the criticism rising against it. It is totally subject to Tehran's decision, and Tehran is asking it not to surrender to American demands. Handing over its weapons cancels Hizbullah's role...in the Lebanese political system." Col. (res.) Barak Ben-Zur, a former head of the Research Unit in the Israel Security Agency, said the key to a long-term solution lies in Damascus via a comprehensive political-security settlement with the new Syrian regime under Ahmad al-Sharaa. Such an agreement would place a major obstacle in the path of Hizbullah's return to its former status. "Establishing a relationship...between Syria and Israel will make it possible to nullify the Iranian influence and its translation into practical steps on the ground." He noted that the dismantling of Iran's forward intelligence and air defense network in Syria and Lebanon, which had been able to supply early alerts to the Iranian air-defense network and supplied Iran with ongoing intelligence on Israeli air and ground activity, was one of the crucial enablers for the surprise Israeli attack on Iran on June 13.
2025-07-06 00:00:00
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