Hezbollah says it wants ‘lasting consensus’ with Salam government

After several weeks of tensions and jabs in the media centered around the monopoly of arms controlled by the state, Hezbollah and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam appear to have buried the hatchet, at least on the surface. A reconciliation took the form of a "smiling" meeting at the Grand Serail between Salam and a delegation from the party's parliamentary group, led by MP Mohammad Raad, after which Raad expressed a desire for a "lasting consensus" with the prime minister "and all components" in Lebanon.

"We entered [the Serail] all smiles, because we harbor only good intentions, and we left all smiles, because we wish for a lasting consensus with him [Nawaf Salam] and all the components of this country, so that everyone takes responsibility," Raad told the press after the meeting, flanked by his colleagues Hassan Fadlallah, Amin Sherri, Ibrahim Moussawi and Hussein Hajj Hassan.

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‘Nothing stands in the way of cooperation’ with the Salam cabinet

This meeting between Salam and the Hezbollah delegation was the first in weeks, following media outings by the prime minister regarding, among other things, the "end of the exportation of the Iranian revolution" and statements about the state's monopoly on arms, which had annoyed Hezbollah. This resulted in consistent criticism of the government and Salam by its leaders. A lull finally occurred due to mediation by Parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah. However, the head of the party's parliamentary bloc rejected any reconciliation, saying that for relations to be "restored, they would have had to be interrupted."

"Differences of opinion do not alter relationships," he said.

"We discussed issues that we are among the most concerned about addressing and implementing, to allow the country to move to a new stage, reassuring for citizens on all levels," Raad added, noting that even "several unexpected issues were addressed" during the meeting. "Nothing stands in the way of cooperation with the current government."

Although Hezbollah and Amal MPs abstained from supporting Salam during his appointment in late January 2025, they eventually granted confidence to his government, in which they are represented by two ministers: Mohammad Haidar (Labor) and Rakan Nassereddine (Health).

Disarmament ‘implicit in the meeting’

Concerning discussions on Lebanon's protection, the Raad said they would continue with the president "in due course," stating that "the national interest must come first for both the government and the people." In response to a question about any potential disarmament request from the prime minister, he said the topic "was not detailed, but it was implicit because everyone is interested in what guarantees stability, starting with the end of the occupation." He added that this issue should "be addressed objectively, in the interest of the country, taking into account the choices of the Lebanese and the necessity to face any Israeli aggression."

"We know this phase is difficult, and that the enemy does not respect what has been agreed upon, while Lebanon has fulfilled all its obligations," he said.

Raad stated that Salam "continues to wonder why the enemy maintains occupation of certain areas despite modern technologies" at its disposal.

The MP also said his party's three current priorities were "ending the occupation, securing the release of prisoners, and initiating reconstruction," demands that have become the party's mantra, calling on all all sides in Lebanon to make these requests their priority. He added that his bloc presented concrete, detailed proposals on reconstruction and would continue to track their implementation with "concrete advances" after Eid al-Adha, which starts on Friday.