President Joseph Aoun receives the head of Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc, Mohammad Raad, in Baabda on Feb. 4, 2026. (Credit: Lebanese Presidency)
BEIRUT — President Joseph Aoun received on Wednesday Mohammad Raad, head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, at Baabda Presidential Palace, after weeks of heightened tension between the party and the presidency.
In remarks published by the presidency, Raad called for cooperation with the president and for the state to “assume responsibility for protecting sovereignty.”
The meeting followed repeated calls by Aoun for the party to “act with reason,” as the government prepares to launch the second phase of its plan to enforce the state’s monopoly on arms.
Raad said Hezbollah was committed to dialogue “to serve the interests of all Lebanese,” facilitate the return of displaced families, begin reconstruction and support the state in safeguarding sovereignty.
“The most correct positions are those that unite, and the most relevant reactions are those imbued with realism and positivity,” he said.
He added that he had “listened to the president’s guidance” and that contacts would continue. “We have agreed to pursue meetings and consultations to achieve priorities and agree on a methodology to reach them as quickly and safely as possible, at the lowest cost, while preserving sovereignty and national dignity,” Raad said.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem rejected in a speech on Tuesday any handover of Hezbollah weapons north of the Litani River and accused “certain ministers” of seeking to sow discord among the Lebanese. He said Lebanon had already made sufficient concessions on the weapons issue and argued that pressure should instead be placed on the United States and Israel to fully implement the November 2024 cease-fire agreement.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri had publicly expressed support for Aoun amid Hezbollah's criticism of his push for disarmament.
The meeting also comes as Lebanese Army Commander Gen. Rodolph Haykal is in Washington, where he is presenting his plan for the second phase of establishing a state monopoly on arms ahead of its submission to the Cabinet. That phase is set to tackle the area between the Litani and Awali rivers in southern Lebanon.
