Why Moscow is urging Hezbollah to lay down its arms

Has the monopoly on weapons convinced Moscow? In a media appearance on Friday, Russia Ambassador to Beirut Alexander Rudakov said that Hezbollah must turn from a “military movement into a purely political force.”These remarks came amid a standoff over disarming Hezbollah, which, like its Iranian backer, refuses that the state monopolises the carrying of weapons. Rightly or wrongly, Russia has long been perceived as an ally of the Iranian axis, especially after its military intervention in Syria alongside Iran and its allies in support of the former regime of Bashar al-Assad until its fall in December 2024, which weakened Hezbollah significantly. In this context, the Russian ambassador’s remarks can only raise questions. More on a similar topic Is Damascus on the path to reconciliation with Moscow? A Moscow-based Lebanese diplomat...