Overview

• Earlier this month the Lebanese cabinet approved a U.S.-backed roadmap to disarm Hezbollah by the end of the year, triggering a walkout by Shiite ministers who denounced the move as externally imposed.
• President Joseph Aoun confronted Ali Larijani at Baabda Palace, insisting that only Lebanese state institutions may hold arms and rejecting any foreign meddling.
• Ali Larijani denied orchestrating interference, vowed continued Iranian support for Hezbollah and urged internal dialogue over the militia’s weapons.
• Hundreds of Hezbollah supporters greeted Larijani at Beirut’s airport with chants and flags, underscoring popular resistance to the disarmament drive.
• The diplomatic standoff highlights deep political divides in Lebanon and raises questions about whether the army can enforce the disarmament plan without sparking renewed violence.