Lebanese PM Nawaf Salam asserts that calls to disarm Hezbollah stem from Lebanon’s own sovereignty agenda — not foreign pressure — and vows justice for Beirut port blast victims.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has firmly stated that the push to disarm Hezbollah and deploy the Lebanese Army across the nation’s entire territory is a Lebanese decision — not an American demand.
Speaking at the inauguration of a street honoring victims of the August 2020 Beirut Port explosion, Salam emphasized that the principle is already enshrined in Lebanon’s official government statement, approved by parliament:
“Weapons will be held solely by the Lebanese state.”
Salam reminded that this commitment also traces back to an agreement made nearly three decades ago, which pledged that the state would extend sovereignty over all its land.
The Prime Minister revealed that in the coming week, the cabinet will establish a mechanism to implement these commitments — a move seen as a potential challenge to Hezbollah’s military dominance.
Turning to the Beirut port blast investigation, Salam vowed no one will escape accountability.
“No one is above accountability. Keep your hands off the judiciary,” he warned, pledging unwavering support for an independent, obstruction-free judicial process.
Salam promised full cooperation with the courts:
“We will facilitate everything the judiciary asks of us in pursuit of the investigation.”
His remarks come at a sensitive moment for Lebanon, where internal political rifts, Hezbollah’s armed presence, and demands for justice over the 2020 tragedy remain at the heart of the nation’s ongoing crisis.
