Hezbollah MP: Disarmament Decision-Makers Must Bear Full Responsibility
By Al-Ahed News
MP Mohammad Raad, head of the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc, firmly rejected the government’s decision to “disarm”, describing it as an externally imposed measure lacking national legitimacy and sovereignty.
He stressed that handing over arms equates to surrendering one’s honor and called disarmament “suicide”.
Questioning who would protect Lebanon without its weapons, Raad warned that the true aim behind this decision is to drag Lebanon “by the ear” into normalization with the “Israeli” occupation entity. He insisted that those who made this decision are fully aware of its grave consequences.
Regarding Hezbollah’s future in government, Raad said the choice rests with the group itself, emphasizing, “There will be no disarmament—they can go pave the sea”.
In an interview with Al-Manar TV on August 8, 2025, Raad recalled the sacrifices of “all our honorable, self-sacrificing, loyal, and virtuous people who never withheld sacrifice for this homeland,” highlighting their role as the ultimate model in defending nations.
He observed that developments over the past two years reveal a deepening crisis faced by the aggressor, enamored with advanced technological means, but cautioned, “the enemy’s throat is too narrow to swallow the problem of a single front”.
Raad noted, “Every time the ‘Israeli’ enemy tries to open a file in a certain area, it may manage to do so—but it fails to close a single one”.
He criticized the US administration as being led by a “narcissistic, warmongering Pahlavi,” which tries to mask the barbarity emerging from Western civilization, revealing “moral bankruptcy through racism, bloodshed, and blatant disregard for international charters and agreements”.
He added that global public opinion increasingly condemns the “Israeli” savagery, with many European countries ashamed of Zionist actions.
Raad stated, “All the globally promoted institutions are just tools serving powerful violators of sovereignty. We live in a fake world, far removed from true civilizational values—we hear about them but never see them realized”.
Addressing Lebanon’s power pillars, he warned, “Don’t rush—remember the May 17 Agreement didn’t last even nine months”.
He explained that the Americans are pressing for a strict timetable because the enemy is running out of time.
While conceding some tactical gains by the “Israeli” enemy, Raad affirmed, “Strategically, none of their objectives have been achieved. It is the very existence of the Resistance that unsettles the ‘Israeli’ mood”.
He acknowledged some losses due to enemy alertness but stressed the Resistance’s ability to recover and rebuild.
Raad described the government’s disarmament decision as “an impulsive, externally dictated, and illegitimate move” admitted by those who took it as being due to pressure.
He revealed that on Tuesday, diplomats aligned with US interests coordinated congratulatory messages to the president, showing lack of national autonomy.
Raad insisted no authority is truly responsible—only executors of a predetermined agenda with no room for deviation.
Challenging claims that Hezbollah’s arms are illegitimate after decades of acknowledgment, he said, “For 33 years you accepted this weapon’s legitimacy, and now suddenly it’s illegitimate?!”
He denounced assertions that “arms didn’t protect” as “distorting the truth,” stressing that willpower—not weapons—wins battles. He cited the thwarted “Israeli” incursion into Khiyam in 2024 as proof.
He questioned, “Who guarantees protection if we disarm? Soldiers don’t surrender their weapons, which are their honor. Is this an invitation to betrayal?”
Raad called disarmament “suicide,” asking, “Can anyone demand a martyr’s father to surrender their weapon?”
He criticized disarmament advocates as out of touch, absorbed in privileged isolation and narcissism.
When asked if handing over arms would stop “Israeli” demands, authorities responded only, “We’ll see when the time comes”.
Raad emphasized his desire for security and stability but declared the government’s decision has instead opened the door to internal tensions.
He held political decision-makers fully accountable for all consequences.
He explained that attempts to amend the decision were met with insistence on pushing forward, with ministers’ return used to discuss the US envoy Tom Barrack’s paper seeking American approval.
Raad noted that while the disarmament decision could have been delayed, “pressure” was the only justification given.
He confirmed ongoing internal power struggles and foreign interference, adding, “I don’t place the president in the same category as the prime minister”.
Commenting on Nawaf Salam, Raad said his tenure is still new and that leadership must understand the people—questioning Salam’s connection to the public.
He stated no personal issue exists with Salam, but opposition to the mindset of seeing the US as “mother of the world,” under which Lebanon’s resources funnel through one source while others starve.
Raad described those behind the disarmament vote as either foolish or reckless, committing a grave error with serious future repercussions.
He warned, “The prevailing sentiment in the South, Beqaa and Dahiyeh [Beirut's Southern Suburb] is that this decision has opened the road to Karbala for us”.
He criticized those who prioritize “personal security and peace over marching to Karbala” as reflecting the government’s flawed logic.
Raad acknowledged the government’s positive work in some ministries but stressed this criticism focuses on the disarmament decision.
On Hezbollah’s government role, he said the choice to stay or leave is Hezbollah’s to make, with no position adopted so far.
He reiterated commitment to civil peace but warned the decision has destabilized internal guarantees.
He concluded, “We do not change our principles, while many in the world change theirs as easily as clothes”.
To officials, he said, “You have violated our security—the share we hold in this shared space.”
Questioning the army’s loyalty, he asked, “How can an army whose salaries come from abroad protect us?”
He declared, “I say death rather than handing over weapons—et them go pave the sea”.
Raad revealed they rejected even postponing discussions to talk about weapons within a defense strategy framework—a shared discussion space—but the government refused.
He said their attachment and coordination with Speaker Nabih Berri deepened after the martyrdom of “Master of Martyrs of the Nation”.
Acknowledging imperfection, Raad credited the war of support and the Battle of the Mighty [Uli Al-Baas] as vital struggles with back-and-forth results where justice prevails.
He described the late Master of Martyrs as a divine message and blessing, a brother, father, leader, mentor and role model—a protective canopy uniting them.
Raad said their relationship with the Master of Martyrs was both a personal mission and marked by open dialogue respecting his sound judgment and inclusive leadership.
He praised Martyr Sayyed Hashem Safieddine as the “best supporter, confidant and trustworthy aide—a capable, compassionate manager dedicated to martyrs’ families and the oppressed, and deeply committed to Hezbollah’s arms”.
On Hezbollah Secretary General His Eminence Sheikh Naim Qassem, Raad expressed admiration, saying, “I envy his courage—it qualified him to be Secretary General. I will stand by his side to uphold our pledge.”
Regarding reconstruction, Raad affirmed, “We cannot rebuild with ill-gotten gains or at the expense of martyrs’ blood. We are the ones who build—we have done so before. We have a share in the state—the state must pay it and is able to.”
He added, “Martyrs’ families set the highest example of sacrifice. The wounded from the pager incident are the most insightful among us at this stage.”
On Syria’s political developments, Raad said, “We have not issued a stance yet—the situation remains fluid, unstable and constantly changing”.
