Lebanon: Bid To Disarm Hezbollah Could Lead To 'Civil War', Group Chief Warns

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem warned the Lebanese government on Friday against confronting the Iran-backed militant group, saying there would be "no life" in Lebanon in that event.

Qassem said Hezbollah and the Amal movement, its Shi'ite Muslim ally, had decided to delay any street protests against a US-backed disarmament plan as they still see room for dialogue with the Lebanese government. But he said any future protests could reach the US Embassy in Lebanon.

Any bid to disarm the group could lead 'civil war', added Qassem.

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On Wednesday, Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun said that no group in the country is permitted to bear arms or rely on foreign backing.

During a meeting in Beirut with Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's top security body, Aoun warned against foreign interference in Lebanon's internal affairs, saying the country was open to cooperation with Iran but only within the bounds of national sovereignty and mutual respect.

The United States has presented Lebanon with a proposal for disarming Hezbollah by the end of the year, along with ending Israel's military operations in the country and the withdrawal of its troops from five positions in south Lebanon, according to a copy of a Lebanese cabinet agenda reviewed by Reuters.

The plan, submitted by U.S. President Donald Trump's envoy to the region, Tom Barrack, sets out the most detailed steps yet for disarming the Iran-backed Hezbollah group, which has rejected mounting calls to disarm since last year's devastating war with Israel.

(With inputs from AFP)

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