Hezbollah chief Qassem threatens Lebanese state, accuses it of ‘handing’ the country to Israel with disarmament push

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem threatened the Lebanese state on Friday, in his starkest warning since the government started its push to disarm the terror group. Qassem warned that Lebanon would have “no life” if it were to attempt to disarm his Hezbollah, during an aggressive speech following a meeting with Ali Larijani, the Iranian Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.

Earlier this week, Lebanon’s president and prime minister sharply rejected Iranian meddling in Lebanese affairs. “The government is implementing an American-Israeli order to end the resistance, even if it leads to civil war and internal strife,” Qassem warned.

The new Hezbollah leader, who took over after Israel killed his predecessor Hassan Nasrallah, as well as his designated successor within the span of weeks last year, vowed that Hezbollah would not cooperate with the government’s plan to enforce the state monopoly on arms, including the disarmament of the Iran-backed terror group.

“The resistance will not surrender its weapons while aggression continues, occupation persists, and we will fight it... if necessary to confront this American-Israeli project, no matter the cost,” Qassem declared. Noting early Islamic history, Qassem vowed that Hezbollah would “wage a Karbala-style battle if necessary.” (Read More)