Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji. (Credit: NNA)
Lebanon’s Foreign Minister, Youssef Raji on Tuesday, is expected to summon the Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon, Mujtaba Amani, in the coming days following the ambassador’s controversial comments regarding the exclusive right to bear arms in Lebanon, a source at the Foreign Ministry told L’Orient Today.
Amani, in a post on X, described the disarmament agenda as a "clear conspiracy" against nations, criticizing U.S. policies and warning against the erosion of "national defense capabilities."
إن مشروع #نزع_السلاح هو مؤامرة واضحة ضد الدول. ففي الوقت الذي تواصل فيه الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية تزويد الكيان الصهيوني بأحدث الأسلحة والصواريخ، تمنع دولا من تسليح وتقوية جيوشها، وتضغط على دول أخرى لتقليص ترسانتها أو تدميرها تحت ذرائع مختلفة. وبمجرد أن تستسلم تلك الدول لمطالب…
— مجتبی امانی (@mojtaba_amaani) April 18, 2025
"While the United States continues to provide the Zionist entity with the latest weapons and missiles, it prevents other countries from arming and strengthening their armies, and pressures other nations to reduce or destroy their arsenals under various pretexts. Once those countries succumb to disarmament demands, they become vulnerable to attack and occupation, as happened in Iraq, Libya, and Syria," Amani wrote.
He continued, "We in the Islamic Republic of Iran are fully aware of the dangers of this conspiracy and its threat to the security of the peoples of the region. We warn others not to fall into the trap of the enemies. Maintaining deterrence capability is the first line of defense for sovereignty and independence, and it should not be compromised."
Hezbollah still rejects disarmament
Hezbollah has emerged weakened from more than a year of conflict with Israel, including a two-month-long escalation in the fall triggered by the war in Gaza. Still, the group has rejected any disarmament.
Deputy U.S. Special Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus recently said Hezbollah’s disarmament should happen “as soon as possible.” A senior Hezbollah official countered that no such discussion could happen while Israeli forces remained inside Lebanon.
The cease-fire agreement calls for the dismantling of Hezbollah’s military infrastructure south of the Litani River and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from that area, where the Lebanese Army has begun deploying.
On Sunday, the army said it had seized several rockets and launchers in the Saida-Zahrani region and arrested suspects believed to be preparing an attack targeting areas under Israeli control.
