- 15:30
According to an official Lebanese source, the process of placing all weapons exclusively under state authority is first and foremost a Lebanese initiative — not an Israeli, American, or broader international demand. Any delay or suspension of this process, the source warned, would have negative repercussions solely for Lebanon and its government.
The source stressed that the Lebanese government remains committed to centralizing all weapons under state control and is actively working toward its implementation. Hezbollah, it added, must recognize that the Lebanese people — and especially its own base — stand to benefit from this process, which could end the daily suffering caused by Israeli strikes and targeted killings and pave the way for reconstruction.
The official underlined that positions regarding arms centralization and negotiations with Israel are taken collectively by the government. Other statements — particularly those made by individual officials — reflect personal opinions, sometimes driven by emotion in reaction to specific incidents.
Meanwhile, U.S. intelligence reports indicate that military and diplomatic pressure on Lebanon is mounting to push the government toward direct negotiations with Israel to resolve outstanding disputes — but only after swiftly addressing the issue of Hezbollah’s weapons.
According to the same sources, Israel will continue its airstrikes — at times intensifying, at times easing them — but a full-scale war with Lebanon is not currently on the table.
Diplomatic sources said that Washington, Riyadh, and Paris have sent — and continue to send — clear messages to the Lebanese government, stressing the need to complete Hezbollah’s disarmament by year’s end and warning that no comprehensive aid will be provided until the process is concluded.
The report added that the United States remains determined to pursue all matters linked to Hezbollah, particularly its financial networks. In that context, a U.S. Treasury official is expected in Beirut on Sunday. He will meet with senior officials and Central Bank Governor Karim Souaid to implement new measures aimed at cutting off the channels Hezbollah still uses to fund its activities.
Washington continues to closely monitor the situation in Lebanon and related developments, seizing every opportunity to reiterate that dismantling Hezbollah’s arsenal remains a top priority. In its view, this is the key to transforming Lebanon from a failed state into one capable of joining the regional shifts now underway.
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