Hezbollah lashed out at a statement by the embassies of five “Friends of Lebanon” countries — Britain, the United States, Australia, Canada and Japan — demanding that the state hold exclusive control over weapons and decisions on war and peace.
The statement called for a public commitment from all lawmakers and political parties to uphold those principles. It also addressed the Dahr al-Baidar explosives case, urging a swift, independent judicial process, free from political interference, to ensure full accountability.
A diplomatic source told Asharq Al-Awsat the statement sought to “reaffirm our support for the government's efforts to strengthen state sovereignty and establish its exclusive control over weapons.”
Lebanese authorities had not been informed of the statement in advance, an official Lebanese source told Asharq Al-Awsat.
The source said the statement nevertheless fully aligned with recent positions taken by President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam against dragging Lebanon into regional conflicts.
It also came amid mounting fears that Hezbollah could join a possible future war involving Iran.
Hezbollah denounces 'brazen interference'
The statement drew a furious response from Hezbollah.
Hezbollah lawmaker Ali Ammar called it “the height of vulgarity and insolence,” accusing the five countries of blatant interference in Lebanon's internal affairs.
Ammar said the statement trampled on Lebanon's sovereignty, judicial independence, diplomatic norms and the dignity of its people, going so far as to dictate national choices and impose political positions.
He also condemned Lebanese authorities for repeatedly turning a blind eye to such interference and treating it as routine.
Ammar said the countries, which he accused of falsely presenting themselves as Lebanon's friends, should instead have condemned Israel's continued occupation of Lebanese territory, daily attacks on Lebanese sovereignty, killings, destruction, displacement and repeated violations of international agreements and resolutions.
Rather than fueling divisions, stirring discord and defending Lebanon's enemies, he said, the countries should have called for dialogue and national consensus among the Lebanese.
Pressure mounts on Lebanese authorities
Lawmaker Michel Douaihy said the statement was a direct message to Lebanese authorities to act on the weapons issue and translate decisions already taken into concrete measures.
“Lebanon has not yet missed the train. It can still catch up through concrete steps by the authorities and a change in their current approach,” Douaihy told Asharq Al-Awsat.
On the Dahr al-Baidar explosives case, Douaihy said the matter could no longer be swept under the rug, particularly after a Hezbollah lawmaker claimed the explosives belonged to the group and demanded their return.
He called for judicial action, arrests and trials, saying accountability must extend beyond those caught transporting the explosives.
US-French divide over Hezbollah's weapons
The absence of France and Germany — both closely involved in Lebanese affairs — from the five-nation statement stood out.
Sami Nader, director of the Levant Institute for Strategic Affairs, said all five signatories were aligned with Washington in demanding concrete action on Hezbollah's weapons and rejecting warnings that such steps could spark a civil war.
That position contrasts with the approach previously championed by France, which maintained that the Lebanese state could not push the army further into confronting Hezbollah without risking internal upheaval.
“The American approach is fundamentally opposed to this position,” Nader told Asharq Al-Awsat.
Washington believes Lebanese authorities must take at least some action on Hezbollah's weapons and no longer accepts the government's justifications for holding back, viewing them instead as cover for the group, he said.
Nader added that even France was beginning to retreat from its earlier position under diplomatic pressure, losing ground and influence in Lebanon to other countries.
