Gathering for Sovereignty tells Biden to include ‘disarming Hezbollah’ in Iran nuke deal

The Gathering for Sovereignty, a Lebanese opposition movement seeking to “liberate Lebanon from Hezbollah’s arms and hegemony,” s called on the Lebanese to join what it called “globalized Arabism,” in the wake of the Jeddah summit .

“The Gathering for Sovereignty laments the absence of the Lebanese state and political forces and parties from the Arab workshop of development and modernization,” it said in a statement.

“The Gathering, which understands that the Iranian occupation and its tools are in the position of hostility towards this course, is surprised by the deafening silence of the sovereign and pro-change political parties and forces, and by the absence of activities and stances that stress the need to join the vision of turning the Middle East into a new Europe, as declared by Prince Mohammed bin Salman,” the Gathering stressed.

In addressing U.S. president Joe Biden, the Gathering said that any new nuclear agreement with Iran should involve “the disarmament of the Iranian proxies in the region, especially Hezbollah in Lebanon, through the U.N. Security Council, especially that the joint (U.S.-Saudi) statement has clearly mentioned the implementation of the Taif Accord and the U.N. Security Council resolutions.” 

The leaders of Saudi Arabia and the US affirmed their continued support for Lebanon’s sovereignty, security and stability, and their support for the Lebanese Armed Forces that protect its borders and resist the threats of violent extremist and terrorist groups. They also noted the importance of forming a Lebanese government and implementing comprehensive structural political and economic reforms to ensure that Lebanon overcomes its political and economic crisis, and that it does not become a launching point for terrorists, drug smuggling, or other criminal activities that threatens the stability and security of the region.

They emphasized the importance of the control of the government of Lebanon over all Lebanese territory, including with reference to fulfilling the provisions of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the Taif Accord, and for it to exercise full sovereignty, so there will be no weapons without the consent of the government of Lebanon or authority other than that of the government of Lebanon.