Hezbollah chief accuses US envoy of 'intimidating' Lebanon to aid Israel
Hezbollah’s deputy leader, Naim Qassem, has accused the United States of pressuring Lebanon to surrender the group’s weapons, claiming such efforts serve Israeli interests.
Speaking during a televised address on Monday to mark one year since the assassination of senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in an Israeli airstrike, Qassem directly targeted U.S. envoy Tom Barrack, accusing him of employing threats and intimidation.
“This man wants the weapons handed over to Israel,” Qassem said, in reference to Barrack. “Anyone calling today for the surrender of weapons, whether internally or externally, on the Arab or the international stage, is serving the Israeli project.”
The comments come amid renewed U.S. efforts to push for Hezbollah’s disarmament, a longstanding point of tension between Washington and the Iran-backed group. In recent months, American officials have increased pressure on Lebanese authorities, warning that continued Hezbollah armament poses a threat to regional stability and undermines state sovereignty.
Qassem also appeared in Tehran a day earlier, on July 29, where he met with Iran’s newly inaugurated president.
The U.S. has designated Hezbollah a terrorist organisation, while Hezbollah insists its weapons are necessary for defending Lebanon against Israeli aggression.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
