In an exclusive interview with The New Arab’s Arabic-language edition, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, Aoun outlined his strategy for addressing one of Lebanon’s most divisive issues, reiterating his refusal to risk civil strife in the name of reform [TNA]
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has said that 2025 must be the year in which all weapons are brought under the authority of the state – a goal he insists can only be achieved through direct dialogue with Hezbollah and not through foreign pressure or internal confrontation.
In an exclusive interview with The New Arab’s Arabic-language edition, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, Aoun outlined his strategy for addressing one of Lebanon’s most divisive issues, reiterating his refusal to risk civil strife in the name of reform.
“I told the Americans that we want to remove Hezbollah’s weapons, but we will not ignite a civil war in Lebanon,” Aoun said, referring to a recent meeting with US Deputy Envoy Morgan Ortagus. “The decision has been made to place all weapons under the state. The execution will happen through dialogue, which I believe must be bilateral between the presidency and Hezbollah.”
Aoun explained his deliberate use of the phrase “placing weapons under state authority” instead of “disarming Hezbollah”, calling it a more constructive framework for a peaceful transition. “What we need is internal dialogue, not externally imposed solutions,” he said.
Despite the tension, Aoun praised Hezbollah’s conduct in recent months.
“Hezbollah has shown great restraint and awareness,” he said. “They are not looking to drag the country into a new war.” He cited the group’s cooperation with the army in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, including “tunnel closures and the confiscation of ammunition depots”.
“We have reached the point where the army is carrying out its missions – south of the Litani, north of the Litani, and even in the Bekaa – without any obstruction from Hezbollah,” he added.
At the same time, Aoun pushed back against US pressure, urging Washington to focus instead on Israeli actions. “I told Ortagus that Israel’s presence in the five disputed points gives Hezbollah a pretext to keep its weapons,” he said, adding that if the US had wanted weapons under Lebanese state control, they would need to pressure Israel to stop its attacks on Lebanon and withdraw from Lebanese territories.
No Iraqi PMF model, no independent militias
Responding to speculation about future arrangements, Aoun ruled out the possibility of replicating Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) model.
“We will not replicate the Popular Mobilisation Forces’ experience in integrating Hezbollah into the army, nor will it be allowed to form an independent unit within the military,” he said. “But Hezbollah members who meet military criteria can join the armed forces, as various [militias] did at the end of the [Lebanese] civil war.”
He added that it was not about creating a parallel force, but about integration, accountability, and national service.
Aoun said regional developments – including the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria and Iran’s “evolving position” on groups like the Houthis and PMF – have opened a window for real progress.
“[These changes] facilitate the possibility of dialogue with Hezbollah,” he said, adding that the “direct communication between the Lebanese presidency and Hezbollah […] was evident on the ground.”
He also confirmed that normalisation or peace talks with Israel were off the table for now. “The Americans know there can be no negotiations with Israel at this stage,” Aoun said, adding that any agreements would remain tied to the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative.
Aoun revealed that Lebanon was reinforcing its armed forces, with 4,500 new troops deployed to the south and a goal to reach 10,000. He also reiterated Lebanon’s request for continued regional support, especially from Gulf states like Qatar.
“I asked the Emir of Qatar to keep supporting Lebanon in oil and military salaries,” he said. “His reply was: ‘Consider it done’.”
Aoun also confirmed that French President Emmanuel Macron had offered to assist Lebanon and Syria in land border demarcation by providing French archival records that affirm Shebaa Farms’s Lebanese identity.
The full interview with President Aoun will be published on Wednesday on The New Arab’s website and in the print and online editions of Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.
