Senior Hezbollah official Nawaf al-Moussawi urged President Joseph Aoun not to 'submit to Trump’s dictates' amid the prospect of a historic White House meeting with Netanyahu, as Aoun denounced 'voices of betrayal' and vowed to 'save the country'. Against the backdrop of a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, and amid the possibility that Lebanese President Joseph Aoun may meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House in Washington at the request of U.S. President Donald Trump, a senior Hezbollah official warned Friday that such a move would cost Aoun his position.
Nawaf al-Moussawi, a senior Hezbollah figure responsible for the group’s resources and borders portfolio, said that “if Aoun submits to Trump and meets with Netanyahu, he will lose his status as president.” Hezbollah is a Lebanon-based Shiite militant group designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and others. Al-Moussawi added that “legitimacy comes from within Lebanon, not from outside. Who said the Sunni majority in Lebanon — from which Prime Minister Nawaf Salam comes — would agree to sign a peace agreement with Israel?” He claimed the ceasefire in Lebanon was tied to Iran, saying it had created it, and stressed that Hezbollah’s goal is not a ceasefire but “a complete withdrawal of the Israeli army and the unconditional return of displaced Lebanese.” He added, “Not a single Israeli soldier will remain in southern Lebanon.”
In remarks that could be interpreted as a hint at changes in the group’s communication methods, al-Moussawi said Hezbollah has “changed all its methods and now communicates through ‘carrier pigeons.’” He also said that every operative killed is replaced by two others, so “it has no effect.” Earlier, Aoun addressed the ceasefire, calling it “the result of great efforts at all levels.” He thanked “everyone who contributed” and added: “We are confident we will save Lebanon. Negotiations do not mean, and have never meant, relinquishing any rights. I affirm, as a commitment and a promise, that there will be no agreement that harms even a small part of the nation’s land. Do not allow voices of doubt and betrayal to sow division. We will rebuild the nation hand in hand. All Lebanese are in the same boat.” (Read More)
