Soldiers of the Lebanese army next to a destroyed car following an Israeli drone attack in Abu al-Aswad in southern Lebanon, on May 17, 2025. (Credit: AFP/Mahmoud Zayyat.)
BEIRUT — Lebanon still has "a lot more" to do to disarm Hezbollah, Deputy U.S. Envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus told the Qatar Economic Forum while in Doha on Tuesday. Lebanese authorities “have done more in the last six months than they probably have in the last 15 years,” Ortagus said, referring to ongoing efforts, headed mostly by President Joseph Aoun, formerly commander of the Lebanese Army,, to establish a process with Hezbollah by which its military wing is integrated into the state apparatus. “However, there’s a lot more to go,” she added.
“We in the United States have called for the full disarmament of Hezbollah," Ortagus said. "That doesn’t mean just south of the Litani. That means in the whole country." She called on Lebanese politicians “to make a decision.”
International pressure on the Lebanese government to move swiftly ahead with disarming Hezbollah — significantly weakened after its war with Israel during which the latter bombed extensively throughout southern and eastern Lebanon — has been met with insistence that the subject requires careful handling. In parallel, the Lebanese Army's expanded deployment in the South is ongoing, where it is dismantling weapon caches and military posts belonging to Hezbollah.
During an interview on Egyptian television on Sunday evening, Aoun was asked about this international pressure. Aoun stressed that his actions with regard to Hezbollah's weapons are informed by the complex realities of the Lebanese political landscape.
"We don't want confrontation. Dialogue helps to resolve all problems, including that of weapons," he said. "South of the Litani River, the Lebanese Army has already cleared 85-90 percent of the territory and continues to do its job. We are waiting for the Israeli army to withdraw so that the mission can continue its advance. We need to move quickly, but not too quickly."
The cease-fire agreement reached on Nov. 27 mandates the dismantling of Hezbollah's military infrastructure between the Litani River and the Blue Line, a stretch of approximately 30 kilometers.
It also calls for the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces, which Israel has refused to do, occupying five military outposts on Lebanese territory. The Israeli air force conducts near daily air strikes in Lebanon, claiming to be targeting Hezbollah, while killing and wounding mostly civilians.
