United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1559 (2004) and 1701 (2006)
Motive
Establishing the sovereignty of the Lebanese state over all its territory and disarming militias.
Participants
Lebanon United States Hezbollah
The disarmament of Hezbollah is an ongoing issue within Lebanon that has become an international issue, focusing on limiting or eliminating Hezbollah's military capabilities. Hezbollah emerged in the 1980s and has grown to be a Shiite Islamist political party and militant group. Its key objectives, include expelling Western influence from the region, destroying Israel, pledging allegiance to Iran's supreme leader, and establishing an Islamic government influenced by Iran's political ideology.
In early 2025 as a new government was formed in Lebanon. At the same time that Hezbollah suffered a major decline in its power, following a series of significant military setbacks suffered during its armed confrontation with Israel, which commenced on 8 October 2023 as Hezbollah intervened to support armed groups in Gaza. This presented the country a chance to pursue Hezbollah's disarmament, as the newly elected president and prime minister have prioritized it. The government's main goals for the country's recovery include notable domestic reforms, in order to match international demands and receive a $1.1B aid promised to the country, depending on it capability to enforce those domestic reforms and disarm Hezbollah.
According to available sources, Hezbollah has closed the majority of its training facilities. In light of these developments, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun proposed a framework in which former Hezbollah members could be integrated into the Lebanese Armed Forces.[1] However, he emphasized that such integration would not involve the creation of a distinct or autonomous military unit within the army, as was the case with certain militias incorporated following the conclusion of the Lebanese Civil War.
From Hezbollah's standpoint, the principal condition for advancing the disarmament process is the provision of guarantees by Israel, specifically a formal commitment to refrain from future attacks on Lebanon and a withdrawal from the five points.[2] An Israeli official stated that before peace talks can progress, Hezbollah must disarm. The official added that this will be very hard and that they do not know if it will succeed.[3]
Hezbollah, is a Shiite Islamist militant group and political party based in Lebanon. It was formed in response to Israel's invasion of Lebanon, receiving support from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and had political backing from Syria's Assad regime. Its political wing is legitimate having seats in the Lebanese Parliament. Its independent armed wing, oftern viewed as more capable than the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), operates of state, undermining national sovereignty and the rule of law.[4][5]
Since established, Hezbollah played a central role in many armed conflicts against Lebanon, Israel and Syria. It played a major role in the Lebanese Civil War, managing to exclude itself from the Taif agreement signed by all other parties of the Lebanese Civil War in 1989.[6][7][8] Until 2000 it fought a guerrilla war in Southern Lebanon against Israel leading to its withdrawal.[9][10] In 2006 Hezbollah's cross border raid kidnapping Two Israeli soldiers, started a 34-day war with Israel, that resulted in many casualties and widespread destruction in Lebanon.[11][12][13][14] In 2008 Hezboolah turned its power against Lebanon, during a political crisis as it briefly took hold of West Beirut by force.[15][16][17][18] Then in 2011 it took part in the Syrian civil war as allias of Bashar al-Assad's regime. Following the war it increased its military arsenal.[19][20]
A day after the October 7 attacks, Hezbollah started firing guided rockets and artillery shells into Israel, starting the largest escalation between the sides since 2006. The height of the campaign was in September 2024 when Israel eliminated Hezbollah's leadership including Hassan Nasrallah, followed by heavy losses estimated at thousands of fighters, and significant blows to its missile infrastructure.[21][22][23] On November 27, 2024, a ceasefire brokered by the United States and France began.[24][25] As a new government rose during 2025 it increased its pressure on Hezbollah to brings its weapons under state control, while Hezbollah itself remains resistant to full disarmament.[26][27][28]
Legal and political framework
Taif Agreement (1989)
The Taif Agreement, that ended the Lebanese Civil War, called for the disbanding of all Lebanese militias, all parties signed the agreement. However, Hezbollah was informally exempted, for the reason that it was a resistance force to fight the Israeli occupation. An occupation that came to an end in 2000.[29][30][6]
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1559 (2004)
Resolution 1559 was issued during 2004 and it explicitly called for the disbandment and disarmament of all the militias and organizations within Lebanon, regardless if they are Lebanese or non-Lebanese.[31] Once again Hezbollah was not named specifically in the resolution, but it was understood it includes Hezbollah as well. As of 2025 the organization has yet do disarm itself violaiting the resolution.[32][33][26]
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006)
Resolution 1701 was created after the 2006 Lebanon War between Hezbollah and Israel, once again this resolution reiterated the call for the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon, and called for the deployment of the Lebanese army and United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in southern Lebanon.[34][35]
Economic aspect
In October 2024, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) placed Lebanon on its grey list, citing serious shortcomings in combating money laundering and terrorist financing.[36][37][38] This designation subjects Lebanon to increased international monitoring and pressure to implement urgent financial reforms. The decision comes amid a deep and prolonged economic crisis that began in 2019, worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic and the devastating 2020 Beirut port explosion.[39][40][41] With its banking sector in collapse and a growing reliance on cash transactions, Lebanon has struggled to regulate financial flows effectively.[42]
The FATF has pointed out key concerns, Lebanon has a weak court system that is influenced by politics, and the government hasn't done enough to stop money going to terrorist groups connected to local militias. Being placed on the "grey list" has serious effects: it scares away foreign investors, makes it harder for people to send or receive money from abroad, and increases paperwork and costs for Lebanese banks. This listing shows that Lebanon urgently needs to improve its rules and systems to fight money laundering and terrorism funding, in order to rebuild trust with the global financial community.[42] This is directly connected to Hezbollah as the FATF grey listing of Lebanon as it has a significant role in both Lebanon's political system and its financial environment, which the FATF and international authorities identify as major obstacles to effective anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CFT) enforcement.[43]
Timeline
In February 2025 a new Lebanese government was formed, ending Mikati's caretaker rule.[44][45] One of its agendas was disarming Hezbollah.[46][47] On the same month U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus visited Lebanon where she spoke firmly that the Lebanese government must disam Hezbollah or "face increased isolation".[48] During the visit she met both President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, as well as Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.[48]
March - April 2025, additional Lebanese soldiers are deployed in southern Lebanon to strengthen and assist dismantling Hezbollah infrastructure. It is also reported that 90% of Hezbollah's outposts in south Lebanon were handed over.[49][50]
April 15, 2025, in an Interview President Aoun speaks about a non-violent approach towards the issue of Hezbollah's disarmament, reaching the goal through dialogue and coordination with its Parliament speaker.[51]
April 27, 2025, despite the ceasefire Israel conducts an airstrike on Hezbollah installations in southern Beirut.[52]
Late April 2025, according to the Lebanese Army 90% of Hezbollah's military infrastructure south to the Kitani river was dismantled and so it took hold of former Hezbollah strongholds.[53]
July 4, 2025, According to reports Hezbollah holds internal strategic review in order to consider partial disarmament or scaling down its armed presence, due to its major losses during 2024, financial preasure, ongoing Israeli strikes and the diminish of Iranian support along with the fall of the Assad regime.[54]
Reports emerge that Hezbollah is conducting a major internal strategic review considering partial disarmament or scaling down its armed presence, driven by massive losses in the 2024 war, financial pressures, Israeli strikes, and the regional fallout from the fall of Assad's regime and diminished Iranian support
The U.S. Presidential Envoy to Syria, Thomas Barrack, submitted a proposal during his visit in early July. On 5 July, Hezbollah described it as "a form of capitulation."[55] Barrack first visited Beirut on 19 June.[56]
On 7 July 2025, Thomas Barrack visited Beirut, where he met with President Aoun and Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri. During the visit, President Aoun presented Barrack with Lebanese proposals for a comprehensive solution.[57]
On 11 July 2025, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun dismissed the prospect of normalization with Israel at this stage, expressing support instead for a state of "no war" as long as parts of Lebanese territory remain under Israeli occupation.[58] He stressed that the decision to reserve all arms exclusively for the state has been firmly made and is irreversible.
Reactions
Domestic
President Joseph Aoun
Aoun long standing view is that only the state should hold arms and that Hezbollah's disarmament will be achieved only through dialogue, not force. On July 26, 2025, he acknowledged that the progress of the talks with Hezbollah is very slow.[59][60] In his speech on July 31, 2025 in honor of the Lebanese Army's 80th anniversary, he addressed all parties emphasizing the historic opportunity for the disarmament of Hezbollah, while restoring and reinforcing state sovereignty.[61]
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam
Salam's stand on this matter was made clear from day one of the new Lebanese government's formation, for him the disarmament of Hezbollah is a priority. He wants to conduct reforms and have a stronger state authority over arms.[62][63][64] In response to Qassem's statement on 15 August 2025, Salam said there is only one government that makes decisions in Lebanon, there is no state that doesn't have arms monopoly and addressing Qassems threat of civil war he said "The implicit or direct threat of civil war, I believe that none of the Lebanese today, ... none of the Lebanese, young and old, men and women, in the south or in the north, wherever they are, none of them wants to return to civil war today".[65]
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri
Reports say that Hezbollah told Speaker Berri it will not give up its weapons, even if Israel pulls out of the occupied areas. Berri also said the government cannot promise to disarm groups north of the Litani River.[66][67]
Samir Geagea
Samir Geagea Executive Chairman of Lebanese Forces was quoted in an interview on August 3, 2025 claiming that "Hezbollah's actions have effectively set Lebanon back a hundred years, if not more,". This came just a few days before the government meeting that is set to approve the executive mechanism to implement the "state monopoly over arms". Meaning disarmament of Hezbollah.[68]
Hezbollah's Secretary-General Naim Qassem
Naim Qassem made it clear that Hezbollah will not give up its weapons as long as Israel continues its attacks. He rejected U.S. proposals, calling them a form of "surrender," and said disarmament would only be possible after Israel fully withdraws from southern Lebanon.[69] On July 30, 2025, the day marking the first anniversary of the targeted killing by Israel of senior commander Fuad Shukr, he spoke about the fact that Hezbollah still maintains its power as the resistance in Lebanon, denying the notion of disarmament.[70] In a statement on 15 August 2025 he vowed there will be no disarming of Hezbollah and gave a clear warning that an attempt to confront Hezbollah will mean “no life” for Lebanon.[71][72][73]
Wallid Jumblatt
Jumblatt is one of the notable voices for the disarmament of Hezbollah saying that Hezbollah must "realize that keeping its weapons and missiles serves no purpose."[74]
International
France: France supports Hezbollah's disarmament. It has pressed the Lebanese government to move ahead with disarmament efforts more forcefully.[75]
Iran: Foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said this was not the first time attempts have been made to disarm Hezbollah, adding "we act as a supporter but we do not interfere in their decision-making."[76]
Israel: Israel views Hezbollah's disarmament as a security necessity. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed Lebanon's plan to disarm Hezbollah as a "momentous decision."[77]
United States: The U.S. has been a primary proponent of Hezbollah's disarmament, welcoming Lebanon's decision to bring all weapons under state control.[76] U.S. envoy Tom Barrack described the development as "historic."[78]
Government decision on August 7
On August 5, 2025, a government meeting was held in Baabda Palace focused on the disarmament of Hezbollah. At the end of the meeting the Lebanese Army was assigned to present a plan for the disarmament of Hezbollah and returning state monopoly over arms.[79][80] In response to which, Hezbollah stated that the government has committed a "major sin" and the organization will treat the decision as nonexistent.[81]
On August 7, in a government meeting specifically addressing the disarmament of Hezbollah, the majority of the government voted to approve the decision. The Lebanese Army was tasked to create a plan ensuring that only the state has control over weapons in Lebanon. The decision is based on a U.S. plan to disarm Hezbollah. Before the voting several Shiite ministers, including members aligned with Hezbollah, Amal movement, and independent MP Fadi Makki walked out of the meeting.[82][83][84]
Following the decision to disarm Hezbollah Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that these efforts will fail and that Hezbollah has recovered and in full force. By this showing Iran's full support in Hezbollah.[85] This caused resentment by the Lebanese government bringing Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji to summon the Iranian ambassador and disapprove of Iran's interference in Lebanon. While other voices like MP Ghayath Yazbeck called the comments as "a complete violation of the dignity of a sovereign and independent state" and even urging a complaint to the UN Security Council.[85]
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