Hezbollah fighters at the funeral of “Abu Taleb,” a commander of the militia, in Beirut’s southern suburbs, (Credit: Matthieu Karam/OLJ)
Under mounting military, diplomatic, and political pressure, the party may be willing to give up its heavy weapons — the arsenal that has long granted it regional clout — in order to help Lebanon align with the emerging dynamics of the “new Middle East.”On Friday, Reuters reported that Hezbollah could agree to hand over these weapons to the state, citing three sources familiar with the negotiations. A source close to President Joseph Aoun, who is leading the talks with Hezbollah, confirmed to L’Orient-Le Jour that this is “one of the options being discussed with the party as part of a gradual disarmament process.” Hezbollah circles declined to comment.On one hand, if this project goes ahead, it would represent a concession that Lebanon could present to Tom Barrack, the American envoy expected in Beirut on Monday, whose roadmap — still...
Under mounting military, diplomatic, and political pressure, the party may be willing to give up its heavy weapons — the arsenal that has long granted it regional clout — in order to help Lebanon align with the emerging dynamics of the “new Middle East.”On Friday, Reuters reported that Hezbollah could agree to hand over these weapons to the state, citing three sources familiar with the negotiations. A source close to President Joseph Aoun, who is leading the talks with Hezbollah, confirmed to L’Orient-Le Jour that this is “one of the options being discussed with the party as part of a gradual disarmament process.” Hezbollah circles declined to comment.On one hand, if this project goes ahead, it would represent a concession that Lebanon could present to Tom Barrack, the American envoy expected in Beirut on Monday, whose...
