• Hezbollah refuses to disarm, warning of dire consequences for Lebanese sovereignty.
• Iranian envoy stresses Tehran's non-interference while backing Hezbollah's "resistance."
• The Lebanese government, under U.S. pressure, aims to disarm Hezbollah by year's end.
• Hezbollah's leader links disarmament to surrendering to Israeli and American forces.
• Lebanon's Prime Minister condemns threats of civil war from Hezbollah's leadership.

Lebanon's Hezbollah has firmly rejected a government plan aimed at disarming the group, asserting that any such move would compromise national sovereignty and lead to chaos. Naim Qassem, the group's leader, emphasized that they “will not surrender” their weapons while foreign aggression and occupation persist, indicating that Hezbollah views its arsenal as critical to Lebanon's defense against Israel, according to Al Jazeera, Reuters, and South China Morning Post.

The contentious backdrop to this standoff involves U.S. pressure on the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah, described as an “American-Israeli order” by Qassem. He warned that further attempts to disarm the group could lead to severe internal strife, even civil war, as Hezbollah argues that any disarmament plan threatens not just its existence but Lebanon's stability itself. Qassem's assertion aligns with positions taken by other leaders within the group, as conveyed in multiple sources including Dawn and Al Jazeera.

Iranian officials, including security chief Ali Larijani, visited Lebanon recently to communicate Tehran's support for Hezbollah while claiming respect for Lebanese sovereignty. Larijani characterized the Iranian stance as one of non-interference, despite the apparent backing for Hezbollah's armed status, stating, “we do not intervene,” thereby attempting to offset accusations of meddling in Lebanon's political affairs, according to reports from Al Jazeera and South China Morning Post.

In response to Hezbollah's defiance, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned Qassem's speech as an unacceptable threat of civil war. Salam insisted that decisions regarding Hezbollah’s disarmament are sovereign and purely Lebanese, challenging Hezbollah’s narrative of foreign intervention and asserting the cabinet's autonomy in decision-making, a sentiment echoed by Dawn and Al Jazeera.

The escalating rhetoric reflects a broader fracturing within Lebanon as Hezbollah, once viewed as a significant military force, grapples with its place in a deeply polarized political environment that has been affected by recent conflicts with Israel and worsening economic conditions. Analysts suggest that the challenges facing both Hezbollah and the Lebanese state may set the stage for further instability, as highlighted by insights from multiple experts discussed in South China Morning Post and Reuters.