The issue of Hezbollah’s arms is not new—it dates back to the aftermath of the Israeli invasion in 1982, when Iran carved out a military footprint in Lebanon through arming and training the Lebanese militant group. Past attempts to raise the question of Hezbollah's disarmament were always met with rejection and violence.
But Israel’s crushing campaign against the group last year—culminating in the assassination of its iconic Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah—put Hezbollah on the back foot. Making matters worse, Assad’s fall in Syria meant that the group’s access to weapons through the land corridor stretching from Tehran to Beirut was effectively severed. Sensing a ripe opportunity to rid Hezbollah of its weapons once and for all, the United States has tasked Lebanon with the enormous challenge of disarming the group.
Lebanon’s challenge to disarm Hezbollah is Al Majalla’s September cover story. In it, we tackle the latest developments, including signals from Washington and Riyadh, as well as Tehran's red lines.
