President Joseph Aoun during his live interview from the Presidential Palace in Baabda on Jan. 11, 2026. (Photo released by the presidency)
Hezbollah spokesperson Youssef Zein said on Monday that his party was “disappointed” by remarks made about Hezbollah during an interview given the previous day by President Joseph Aoun on the first anniversary of his term.
Contacted by L’Orient-Le Jour, the presidency declined to comment.
During the interview on the state-run channel Télé Liban, Aoun called on Hezbollah to be “reasonable” regarding its disarmament, a process launched by Lebanese authorities in September 2025 in line with provisions in the country’s founding texts and U.N. resolutions.
The comments marked a firmer tone from the president, who since taking office has called for disarmament while advocating dialogue and rejecting the use of force to seize the party’s arsenal.
“The president cannot address us with such a message, especially since we are exercising restraint and refraining from responding to daily Israeli strikes,” Zein told the publication.
He added that Hezbollah has repeatedly said that “the ball is now in the state’s court” to respond to Israeli attacks, as Lebanon is engaged in negotiations with Israel through the cease-fire monitoring “Mechanism.”
He reiterated the party’s official stance: “No one should speak to us about the second phase of the disarmament plan before Israel withdraws from the points it still occupies in southern Lebanon.”
In the interview, Aoun said that “the situation that allowed the existence of weapons [outside state control] in Lebanon no longer exists,” adding that “the presence of these weapons has become a burden on [Hezbollah’s base] and on Lebanon as a whole.”
His remarks came three days after the Cabinet tasked the army with preparing the second phase of the disarmament plan, the details of which are to be presented to the government in February. During the first phase, Hezbollah did not oppose the dismantling of its arsenal south of the Litani River.
“A head of state has no right to single out a group of Lebanese by calling them ‘the other party,’” Zein also said, referring to a question posed during the interview that contrasted the state with “the other party” involved in the disarmament process.
Despite the disappointment, he said contacts were continuing between Hezbollah and Baabda Palace “through official communication channels,” referring to Hezbollah parliamentary bloc leader Mohammad Raad and presidential adviser Andre Rahal.
“The president expressed convictions we are aware of and are assessing,” Zein concluded.
The second phase of the disarmament plan concerns areas between the Litani River and the Awali River in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah has repeatedly argued that the ceasefire agreement signed in November 2024 requires it to disarm only south of the Litani.
U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, based on the 1989 Taif Agreement and underpinning the truce, calls for the complete disarmament of all militias and non-state groups.
Political reactions
Several figures, mainly from political camps opposed to Hezbollah, welcomed Aoun’s remarks. Tripoli MP Achraf Rifi said on X that Aoun had shown “firmness and respect for the principles of sovereignty” in the face of Hezbollah’s insistence on dragging Lebanon into “a new destructive adventure.” Beirut MP Fouad Makhzoumi said the president’s intervention reflected “a responsible and thoughtful approach” to the country’s challenges.
MP Mark Daou, from the 2019 protest movement, said: “Aoun said it exactly as it should be: Hezbollah’s weapons have become a burden on its own community and on Lebanon as a whole. What is needed now is to set clear deadlines for restricting weapons across Lebanese territory.”
Information Minister Paul Morcos wrote on X that he followed the interview “with great pride,” praising the president’s clarity and candor.
On social media
Aoun’s remarks also divided social media users. Journalist Khalil Nasrallah criticized the president, saying the attack on Hezbollah was unjustified and calling for humility toward residents of the South. Content creator Youssef Abdelnabi said the remarks were “provocative and unnecessary at this stage.”
Others defended the president. Journalist Rami Naim praised Aoun for addressing the Lebanese people with transparency and honesty, while lawyer Samir Khalaf described the interview as “an exemplary presidential statement” and called it “an era of optimism” for restoring sovereignty and a strong state.
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