By Nohad Topalian | 2025-06-12

BEIRUT -- Hizbullah must relinquish its arms in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 in order for the Lebanese state to survive and restore its economy and international standing, political analysts told Al-Fassel.

The party's iron grip on Lebanon's political system has created a "state within the state" that serves the Iranian regime's regional ambitions while devastating Lebanon's economy, security and diplomatic relations, they said.

"Hizbullah's policies and practices have never been compatible with Lebanon's interests, because its foundational nature served the Iranian expansionist project in the region," political writer Marwan al-Amin told Al-Fassel.

The Iran-backed party served as "the cornerstone as well as the sponsor, trainer and supervisor of most of the groups affiliated with Iran in Iraq, Yemen and Syria," al-Amin said.

Though Hizbullah's arms are widely identified as the primary obstacle to Lebanon's economic recovery and international aid prospects, it "continues to stubbornly refuse to hand over its weapons to the Lebanese state," he said.

This is because Hizbullah takes its orders from the Iranian regime, which seeks to use the party as leverage for its own agenda in the region, he noted.

Hizbullah's unilateral decision to open a southern front supporting Gaza without consulting the Lebanese state demonstrates its disregard for national sovereignty and the price Lebanon and even its own base would pay, he said.

Disarming Hizbullah

The issue of non-state weapons has effectively paralyzed Lebanon's ability to secure crucial international assistance for economic recovery, forcing the country into deeper crisis and isolation, analysts said.

"A state dominated by a mini-state that hijacks decisions about war and peace while its foreign policy is determined by a group tied to foreign agendas, cannot stand," political analyst George Akouri told Al-Fassel.

Hizbullah's disarmament is "a prerequisite for restoring confidence and a necessary step for Lebanon to obtain assistance from the international community and donor countries to help it recover from its collapse," he said.

Disarming Hizbullah would restore state prestige and have "a positive impact on Lebanon's relationship with its Arab and Gulf neighbors and the international community," al-Amin said.

It would breathe new life into the country's "politics, economy and productive, health and educational sectors," which have collapsed under the party's influence, he said.

"Disarming Hizbullah will restore stability and security to Lebanon, restore the role and prestige of its institutions, and restore Lebanon's relations with the outside world to normal," Akouri said.

"In short, disarming Hizbullah will restore life to Lebanon."