Hezbollah's refusal to give up arsenal is 'coup d'etat' declaration: Achraf Rifi

Sunni MP from Tripoli Achraf Rifi said Sunday that "Hezbollah's refusal to hand over its weapons is no longer a political disagreement, but an explicit declaration of a coup d'état," adding that "the Lebanese now live in fear in the face of the party's threats and its arsenal."

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam's government awaits a plan from the army by the end of August regarding the disarmament of militias in Lebanon, foremost among them Hezbollah, following a Cabinet decision. This measure has sparked strong opposition from the pro-Iranian group, while since taking office at the beginning of 2025, President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam have made state monopoly over arms a central commitment.

In a lengthy tirade against the group, which emerged greatly weakened after thirteen months of war against Israel, the former commander of the Internal Security Forces (ISF) said "Hezbollah’s arsenal has taken the state hostage, prevented the Lebanese army from fulfilling its role, and placed Lebanon at the service of regional projects foreign to its history and national identity." For Rifi, "there can be no state with two sets of arms, one legitimate and the other terrorist. The state can only be built around a lawful national army."

'The Lebanese fear your betrayal'

Hezbollah refuses to comply with government decisions. Its secretary general, Naim Qassem, made multiple threats, saying the group was ready for confrontation if disarmament were imposed. Hezbollah's vice president of the political council, Mahmoud Comati, later assured that Hezbollah is not "in an internal Lebanese confrontation." Iran's secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, declared Friday that his country "will continue to support Hezbollah" and that the group was "rebuilding itself."

Rifi, who had already threatened to call for "taking to the streets" to confront Hezbollah, also said that "there is no future for Lebanon as long as the party tries to seize the state's decision-making for the sake of a fanciful regional project. They say they bear arms to protect the country from the enemy and claim to fear aggression against their environment. But the Lebanese, for their part, fear your betrayal and your weapons."

These remarks were made during a ceremony at Rifi's office in Tripoli, marking the 12th anniversary of the twin bombings against the al-Taqwa and al-Salam mosques, which killed over 40 people on Aug. 23, 2013, amid heightened political tensions exacerbated by the war in Syria. "We will not forget the martyrs, we will not negotiate over their blood, and we will not yield to hegemony or terrorism, no matter how long it takes," he insisted.

Rifi also praised Joseph Aoun and Nawaf Salam, thanks to whom "Lebanon is trying to emerge from one of the most dangerous periods in its history, because of the grip of Iran's party on the state ... which refuses to hand over its arms and openly proclaims itself to be above the state and above the law."