Since coming to power, President Aoun has defended what he calls a “state monopoly on weapons.” As part of the 2024 ceasefire agreement, Hezbollah agreed to remove fighters and weapons from southern Lebanon, which has been effectively under the group’s control for decades. Hezbollah also exerts influence over Beirut’s southern suburb known as Dahieh and the eastern Bekaa Valley, where part of its arsenal is located, but Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem has refused to discuss full nationwide disarmament.
