Brig. Gen. Iraj Masjedi, the assistant commander of Iran’s Quds Force for coordination affairs, said Thursday that “the project of removing Hezbollah’s arms in Lebanon is a failed scheme by America and the Zionist regime (Israel),” adding that “this dream will be buried with them.”

The Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), General Rodolph Haykal attended the UK-hosted “Dragon Group” between 4-5 August, accompanied by UK Defense Attaché to Lebanon Lt Col Charlie Smith, reinforcing the strong military partnership between Lebanon and the UK.

The Dragon Group is a UK-led initiative launched in 2018 aboard HMS Dragon to bring together Chiefs of Defense from across the Middle Eastern region. Initially comprising nine nations, the group has evolved to reflect the region’s broader security landscape. "Lebanon’s inclusion this year underscores its strategic importance and longstanding partnership with the UK in promoting regional stability," the British Embassy in Beirut said Thursday in a statement.

The Lebanese Foreign Ministry on Thursday condemned remarks by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who said overnight that the Lebanese government’s plan on arms monopolization “will fail.”

Shiite members of Lebanon's Cabinet walked out of a government meeting on Thursday in protest of the government's approval of the objectives of U.S. envoy Tom Barrack's paper.

The rest of the Cabinet then voted in favor of the U.S.-backed plan to disarm Hezbollah and implement a ceasefire with Israel.

President Joseph Aoun has said that “arms monopoly will be achieved despite the difficulties and obstacles,” adding that authorities are “awaiting the army’s plan” on weapons monopolization to “discuss it and approve it.”

The Amal Movement announced Wednesday that the Lebanese government “should have dedicated its efforts to consolidate the ceasefire and put an end to the Israeli killing machine” instead of taking its Tuesday decision to monopolize arms in the state’s hand before the year’s end.

The Lebanese Forces lauded Wednesday in a statement the government's decision a day earlier to disarm Hezbollah, describing the move as "historical".

The decision was long overdue, the statement said, adding that it should have been taken 35 years ago.

Hezbollah announced Wednesday that it will deal with the cabinet’s decision on disarming it by the year’s end “as if it does not exist,” adding that it is “open to dialogue” and to “discussing a national security strategy.”

An Israeli drone strike on Wednesday targeted a motorcycle in the southern town of Touline, causing casualties, the state-run National News Agency said.

MP Ali Ammar of Hezbollah’s Loyalty to Resistance parliamentary bloc announced Wednesday that “Hezbollah’s leadership is evaluating what happened yesterday” as to the government’s unprecedented decision to monopolize arms before the year’s end.