US Embassy in Beirut: Hezbollah Must Disarm and Takes Orders from Tehran

The United States Embassy in Beirut stated on Saturday that Hezbollah must surrender its weapons. In a social media post, the embassy accused the Iran-backed group of refusing to engage in talks with the Lebanese state, the US, or Israel, asserting that the group is simply acting on orders from Tehran. The embassy identified the Lebanese government as the sole legitimate interlocutor for negotiations concerning the country's future, stating that the US supports a safe and sovereign Lebanon, which requires the disarmament of Hezbollah. This statement comes amid ongoing disputes regarding a framework agreement reached in June under American mediation, which provides for a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon in exchange for the complete disarmament of Hezbollah and the deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces in designated zones. Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem rejected the framework on Friday, labeling it illegitimate and humiliating, while claiming that his group has successfully thwarted Israeli territorial ambitions.