Hezbollah Disarmament Tied to Iran's Role in Conflict Resolution, Analyst Says

BEIRUT, June 2. /TASS/. Hezbollah’s disarmament hinges on Iran's participation in the conflict resolution process, General Naji Malaeb, a prominent military and strategic analyst in the Middle East, said in a conversation with TASS.

"The Islamic Resistance forces are armed with Iranian-made missiles and drones supplied to them by Tehran," the expert said. "Therefore, the decision on how to use this arsenal in the future, should peace agreements be reached [with Israel], remains with Iran."

The expert presumed that Shiite militias could, under certain conditions, be integrated into the Lebanese armed forces. "In that case, it would be possible to discuss a mechanism for transferring Hezbollah's arsenal to the Lebanese army, as happened in the 1990s after the civil war with weapons in the hands of Lebanese political parties’ paramilitary groups," he emphasized.

Regarding the resumption of a ceasefire between the parties, the general explained that the Lebanese government's agreement alone is not enough. "Such agreements imply that Hezbollah will not only commit to stopping attacks on Israel, but will also comply with Lebanese government regulations and refrain from all future military adventures," Malaeb noted.

On June 1, Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who mediates on behalf of Hezbollah, announced the Shiite organization’s agreement to halt military operations against Israel. The politician emphasized that if a comprehensive ceasefire agreement is reached, Hezbollah would fully comply with it.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump announced that he had reached an agreement with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to which Israel would refrain from attacks on the southern outskirts of Beirut, and Hezbollah would stop shelling Jewish settlements in exchange.