US election results could be positive for Lebanon, Hezbollah chief says

What the report says

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said recent political setbacks for Republicans in the United States and a weaker showing for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc could benefit Lebanon. In a speech on Wednesday in Beirut’s southern suburbs, during the group’s annual Martyrs’ Day commemoration, he framed the results as evidence that Lebanon should resist pressure from Washington to disarm Hezbollah.

According to Al Jazeera, Qassem argued that the election outcomes in the US and Israel were favorable to Lebanon’s sovereignty and warned Lebanese officials against taking positions that would serve Israeli interests. He reiterated that Hezbollah would not give up its weapons while Israeli forces remain in parts of southern Lebanon, and he rejected any move toward a state monopoly over arms under current conditions.

The remarks come amid an ongoing dispute between Hezbollah and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun over the group’s arsenal. Washington wants the group disarmed, while Hezbollah says relinquishing its weapons would amount to surrender to Israel. Al Jazeera noted that Israel still occupies areas of southern Lebanon and continues to carry out strikes there despite a ceasefire negotiated with US mediation.

Qassem also referred to the broader regional conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States, which has intensified tensions in Lebanon. The article said the fighting and Israeli strikes in south Lebanon have killed thousands of people and displaced large numbers of residents, underscoring why the debate over Hezbollah’s weapons remains politically and militarily significant.