By Nohad Topalian | 2026-03-21

On March 3, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stated that the decision to ban Hizbullah's military activities is "irreversible."

Speaking to members of the Quintet Committee, comprising the United States, France, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Qatar ambassadors, he described the decision as "final."

Aoun's stance came just one day after Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced a ban on Hizbullah's operations, citing illicit military activities originating from Lebanese territory.

Iran-backed Hizbullah fired missiles from southern Lebanon at Israel on March 1, retaliating for the killing of the regime's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Dragging Lebanon into an open war

Political writer Michel Chammai praised Aoun's stance as "excellent," noting that "it emanates from the highest legitimate authority, whereas Hizbullah has yet to sever its deep ties with Iran."

Aoun's decision banning Hizbullah's military activities is "exceptional," Hassan Qutb, director of the Lebanese Center for Research and Consulting, told Al-Fassel.

"For the first time, the highest official authority has issued such a strongly worded denunciation of the party, explicitly charging it with serving the Iranian agenda by pushing Lebanon into an open war, which subjects the country to ceaseless attacks," he added.

Readiness for direct negotiations

In a virtual meeting with Arab and European leaders on March 9, Aoun delivered harsh criticism of Hizbullah.

"Whoever launched those missiles wanted to bring about the collapse of the Lebanese state, plunging it into aggression and chaos, even at the cost of the destruction of dozens of our villages and the death of tens of thousands of our people, all for the sake of the Iranian regime's calculations," he said.

Aoun signaled Beirut's readiness for direct negotiations with Israel, proposing a four-point peace initiative to halt the war.

The initiative called for establishing a comprehensive truce and conducting direct negotiations with Israel under international auspices.

Furthermore, it included providing logistical support to the Lebanese Army to facilitate the disarmament of Hizbullah and enable control over areas of tension.

Qutb called the comprehensive truce initiative "significant," expressing hope that "international attention will help bolster Lebanon's stability and facilitate its liberation from Hizbullah's hegemony."

Analysts state the Lebanese government aims to end Hizbullah's dominance and stop Lebanon from being used for Hizbullah's military actions serving the Iranian regime's interests.