Photo courtesy Lebanon's state-run National News Agency
The Lebanese cabinet ordered the army on Tuesday to draw up a plan to establish exclusive government control over weapons by the end of the year -- a move that would mean disarming Hezbollah.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran is certainly opposed to the disarmament of Hezbollah," Ali Akbar Velayati, international affairs adviser to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was quoted as saying by the Tasnim news agency.
"Iran has always supported the people and the resistance of Lebanon and continues to do so."
In a post on X, the Lebanese foreign ministry condemned Velayati's remarks.
"Some senior Iranian officials have repeatedly overstepped by making unwarranted statements regarding Lebanese domestic decisions that are of no concern to the Islamic republic," the ministry added.
It went on saying that "the leadership in Tehran that Iran would be better served by focusing on the issues of its own people".
Hezbollah is part of the "axis of resistance" -- a network of resistance and armed groups in the region, including Hamas in Gaza and Yemen's Houthi rebels, united in their opposition to Israel.
'Not the first time'
Beirut's disarmament push followed a deadly Israeli war against Lebanon. The Israeli aggression has significantly affected Hezbollah, which has traditionally guarded Lebanon’s southern borders against Israeli incursions.
Hezbollah was the only group to retain its weapons after Lebanon’s civil war ended in 1990. It was founded in 1982 in response to Israel’s second invasion and occupation of Lebanon that year. Israel’s first invasion took place in 1978, several years before Hezbollah was established.
Characterising the disarmament push as the result of US and Israeli interference, Velayati said, "this is not the first time that some in Lebanon have raised such issues".
The cabinet has been under pressure from the United States and anti-Hezbollah parties in Lebanon to commit publicly to disarming the group, amid Israel's ongoing strikes on Lebanese territory.
"But just as previous anti-Lebanese plans failed, this one will also not succeed, and the resistance will stand firm against these conspiracies," added Velayati.
Earlier this year, the Lebanese foreign ministry summoned the Iranian ambassador over critical remarks he made about the disarmament plans.
On Wednesday, Iran's top diplomat Abbas Araghchi, said any decision on disarmament was Hezbollah's to make, adding Tehran supported its ally "from afar, but we do not intervene".
Hezbollah itself has slammed the cabinet decision as a "grave sin", adding it would treat the move "as if it did not exist".
The Lebanese government has cast disarmament as part of the implementation of the November ceasefire that sought to end Israel's escalation against Lebanon.
Under the truce, Hezbollah was to withdraw north of Lebanon’s Litani River and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure in the south, while Israel was to pull all its forces from southern Lebanon.
Israel was to withdraw all forces from Lebanon, but has continued to occupy five key areas in the south, in clear violation of the truce terms.
Lebanon says it has respected its ceasefire commitments and has called on the international community to pressure Israel to end its attacks and withdraw all its troops.
Hezbollah has complied with disarmament requirements in the south but has refused to do so in other parts of Lebanon, stressing that the state cannot assert sole authority over weapons until Israel fully withdraws from Lebanese territory.
*This story was edited by Ahram Online.
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