File photo . Posters of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah R, Former Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini C and current Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei . In September 2019 Nasrallah pledged allegiance to Iran and its supreme leader .
By : Ali Hussein
Hezbollah’s new chief, Naim Qassem, declared recently that the group will not disarm as long as Israeli forces remain inside Lebanese territory and Israeli warplanes continue to violate Lebanon’s airspace—despite a ceasefire agreement reached in late November.
In a televised speech on Hezbollah’s Al-Manar channel, Sheikh Qassem defiantly stated: “We will not allow anyone to remove Hezbollah’s weapons. These weapons gave life and freedom to our people.”
Sheikh Qassem rose to leadership after the assassination of former leader Hassan Nasrallah, his designated successor Hashem Safieddine, and most of Hezbollah’s senior command in Israeli airstrikes last year.
His remarks come amid renewed border tensions, where sporadic violence persists despite the truce. Under the terms of the U.S.-brokered agreement, Hezbollah was to withdraw from all areas south of the Litani River and dismantle its military infrastructure in that zone. In exchange, Israeli forces would fully retreat and transfer control to the Lebanese Armed Forces and UN peacekeepers.
However, according to Lebanese sources, Hezbollah has not fully complied. The Lebanese army has assumed control of approximately 70% of positions south of the Litani, but the remaining 30% are reportedly still under Hezbollah’s control. Worse, reliable sources indicate that these positions are now manned not by Hezbollah fighters—but by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, as Hezbollah has lost almost all of its commanders.
Adding to this crisis of legitimacy, Sheikh Qassem himself is no longer even in Lebanon. He fled to Tehran last October, just days after assuming leadership.
Rather than issuing fiery proclamations from over a thousand miles away, Sheikh Qassem should apologize to the Lebanese people—especially to the Shiite community, who have borne the heaviest burden of Hezbollah’s destructive path.
Contrary to Sheikh Qassem’s claim, Hezbollah’s weapons did not bring life or freedom to the Shiite people. They brought death, destruction, and despair. These arms have become a symbol of ruin. Hezbollah’s military apparatus must be handed over to the Lebanese army—not for use, but for burial. It has proven to be worthless and catastrophic.
Let us be clear: Hezbollah has never been a resistance movement. It is a burden on Lebanon’s shoulders. It is because of Hezbollah that Lebanon’s economy has collapsed. It is because of Hezbollah that Lebanon now ranks as the third most miserable country in the world—just behind war-ravaged Afghanistan and Zimbabwe.
Lebanon, once hailed as the “Switzerland of the East,” has been reduced to a satellite state of Iran. Hezbollah is not a Lebanese resistance—it is Iran in Lebanon.
The only authority that should determine Lebanon’s future is the Lebanese state, led today by President Joseph Aoun. In his oath of office, President Aoun made it clear: only the state has the right to bear arms in Lebanon. While dialogue with Hezbollah may be necessary, the final word must rest with the state.
Sheikh Qassem, let us be honest about Hezbollah’s real purpose. It was never created to defend Lebanon or to liberate Palestine. It was created to serve Iran’s regional ambitions. And Iran has never truly sought to liberate Palestine—it has used the Palestinian cause as a tool to destabilize the region and spread its influence through armed proxies like Hezbollah.
Instead of defending these weapons, Sheikh Qassem, turn your attention to our beloved Shiite community—our brothers and sisters—who have suffered the most because of Hezbollah’s reckless decisions. Focus on rebuilding the tens of thousands of Shiite homes destroyed in wars provoked by your organization. Return to Lebanon. Shift your loyalty from Tehran to Beirut.
Recognize this truth: No international friend of Lebanon will help us rebuild while Hezbollah remains armed.
It is time for peace. It is time for prosperity. It is time to bury the culture of death—and rise together, united, as one Lebanese people.