- 08
- Mar
- 2026
After Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the regional conflict with its March 2 attack on Israel, the Lebanese government signaled increased urgency to assert state authority and seize the militia’s arsenal.
The cabinet’s headline-making decisions include banning Hezbollah’s military and security activities, directing the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to seize the group’s weapons, and ordering the expulsion of operatives from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Lebanon.
While these moves mark a more assertive posture by the government, a key question remains: are they sufficient to restore state sovereignty and prevent further escalation of Israel’s already widescale military campaign against Hezbollah?
Lebanon Targets IRGC Operatives
On Thursday, the Lebanese government instructed security agencies to identify and detain Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officials operating in the country for deportation, an unprecedented state directive aimed at curbing Iran’s influence in Lebanon.
Charles Jabbour, the head of the media department for the Lebanese Forces party, said the move signaled a formal rejection by the Lebanese government of Iran’s military activities in Lebanon. “There is no doubt that this decision represents, first and foremost, a clear political message that the IRGC is not welcome in the country,” he said.
Jabbour added that it was becoming increasingly clear to Lebanese authorities that IRGC officials were present at sites where Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel, dragging Lebanon back into a major conflict.
The government’s plan for stopping the activities of IRGC officers is primarily based on border control procedures, according to Jabbour. The Lebanese state can conduct advanced screening and background checks through its embassies and security agencies, denying entry to Iranians suspected of affiliation with the IRGC or involvement in illegal activities, he explained.
“If successfully implemented, the previous situation of complete openness has now been brought to an end,” he emphasized.
Hezbollah’s Military Activities
Following Monday’s cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced a ban on Hezbollah’s military activities, saying that the organization’s attack earlier that day against Israel disregarded “the will of the majority of the Lebanese” and “undermined the credibility of the state.”
The US, which has been leading international pressure on Beirut to expedite disarmament, expressed skepticism over the decision. “The government's position came a little late, and issuing statements is easy, but taking action is more difficult,” US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa said Monday.
Political activist Jad al-Akhawi said that while the decision was belated, it was still a step in the right direction. “It's better late than never. The position they took yesterday is very advanced,” he told This is Beirut.
While Akhawi views this as a step in the right direction, he stressed that it is far from enough. “Hezbollah is not divided into a political and military branch; it is solely a security branch,” he said.
Akhawi dismissed fears that the government’s decision could lead to a civil war, telling This is Beirut they were unfounded. “All the rumors that Hezbollah is spreading, that the [Lebanese] army would be divided if any decision like this were taken, are not true,” he said.
Hezbollah’s struggles to pay its fighters and financially support its base diminishes such risks, he argued. Even if the group were to confront the LAF, Akhawi believes the public would side against it.
“If Hezbollah decides to fight the [Lebanese] army, all the Lebanese would stand by the army,” he said.
Criminalizing Arms
The cabinet on Monday instructed the LAF to immediately begin its disarmament plan for areas north of the Litani River. Two days later, authorities announced that anyone found in possession of unlicensed firearms would be arrested and referred to the country’s Military Tribunal.
The LAF, for its part, has established checkpoints in a bid to prevent non-state weapons from being moved to the border zone. On Wednesday, the Lebanese army announced that it had “detained 26 Lebanese and one Palestinian in several areas over the past two days for illegally possessing weapons and ammunition.”
Akhawi said that Lebanese authorities had begun arresting Hezbollah members in the southern town of Saida, adding that they have yet to be released. “This is something new,” he said, calling for the arrests to continue.
“Everybody who possesses or transports arms should be arrested immediately,” he said.
Jabbour echoed Akhawi’s sentiments, saying authorities had also begun arresting Hezbollah members for possessing weapons.
“The arrests are an indication that the state has started moving in this direction. Broader and more decisive steps may still be required, but the mere beginning of such measures suggests that a new course is taking shape,” he added.
De-Escalation Still Requires Hezbollah to Accept Defeat
“Hezbollah is going through an unprecedented period of weakness,” Jabbour said. While the state’s measures are crucial, he emphasized that Israel will not halt its military campaign until Lebanon prevents its territory from being used to launch rockets.
On Tuesday, Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said Israel would not end its operations in Lebanon until Hezbollah’s threats are halted and the organization is disarmed.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday called on the Lebanese government to assume its responsibility for confiscating Hezbollah’s weapons. If the Lebanese state does not do so, Israel’s leader warned, then “Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel will bring disaster to Lebanon.”
Akhawi said de-escalation would only be possible once Hezbollah lays down its arms and accepts defeat. The militia must acknowledge that it has already lost its war against Israel, he added.
“We have to accept that there is no equality in power between Lebanon and Israel,” Akhawi said. He contended that meaningful diplomatic and political talks can only begin once this reality is acknowledged.
The government should use its recent actions as a starting point for broader and more ambitious goals, Akhawi said. “We have to start thinking about what is needed for the peace process with Israel. Until now, it has been a taboo, and nobody dares to talk about it.”
“We should begin discussing [peace], exploring it, and understanding what we can gain from it,” the activist said.
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