Aoun says only qualified Hezbollah fighters can be integrated into army

President Joseph Aoun has said that “2025 will be the year of limiting arms to the hands of the state,” reassuring that “Hezbollah will not be dragged into a new war.”

Speaking to Qatar’s al-Arabi al-Jadeed news portal ahead of a visit to Doha, Aoun explained his vision for integrating Hezbollah’s fighters into the army in the future.

Aoun stressed that “the experience of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces will not be repeated in Lebanon” and that “no independent unit of Hezbollah fighters will be introduced to the Lebanese Army.”

He added that “only the members who enjoy certain qualifications, possess academic certificates and succeed in admission tests will be integrated” into the military institution.

As for the U.S. pressure on Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah, the president said he informed U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus of his keenness “not to jeopardize civil peace and risk a civil war,” revealing that he called on the U.S. to press Israel to halt its attacks on Lebanon and to leave the issue of resolving the file of Hezbollah’s arms to the Lebanese state.

“The decision of limiting arms to the hands of the state has been taken and implementation will take place through dialogue,” Aoun added, noting that the fall of the Assad regime and Iran’s advanced stances regarding Yemen’s Houthis and Iraq’s al-Hashed al-Shaabi can contribute to the success of the dialogue with Hezbollah.