Saudi Arabia Could Have Potential Role in Disarming Hezbollah
I couldn't help but laugh with the Greek playwright Aristophanes in his biting political play The Frogs , where his hero Dionysus exclaims, 'Oh frogs, oh frogs. Oh many frogs,' as he navigates a strange and difficult journey to the underworld. This came to my mind while watching some scenes from Hezbollah's own theatrical performance of The Frogs, as it maneuvers and evades the issue of 'disarmament' and the 'exclusivity of Hezbollah's weapons,' voiced by the Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem.
Hassan Nasrallah repeatedly dismissed calls to disarm, insisting that Hezbollah's weapons are necessary for resisting Israel. He also rejected limiting arms to the state insisting that they are essential to defend the country, threatening to 'cut off the hand' of anyone who attempts to interfere with Hezbollah's weapons!!
How similar tonight is to yesterday—voiced now by the current Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Naim Qassem, who assumed his position on October 29, 2024, after the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah. In a tone strikingly familiar, Qassem emphasized the same words, sentences and meanings after initially maneuvering and evading the issue. He insisted that everyone who calls for disarmament serve the Israeli agenda, underscoring that Hezbollah's weapons are a major part of Lebanon's strength and considered them a 'resistance' weapon to defend the country against Israeli threats. He said that 'disarmament' serves the interests of Israel and utterly rejected any external pressure to disarm. Catastrophic losses due to 'Hezbollah's weapons'
Hezbollah has inflicted catastrophic losses on Lebanon, resulting in thousands of deaths, tens of thousands of injuries, and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians from southern Lebanon and other regions.
This has triggered a major humanitarian crisis, devastated infrastructure, and led to billions of dollars in reconstruction costs, with the destruction of entire villages in the south. Let us not forget the wave of assassinations _ beginning with former Secretary-General and Iran's strongman in the region Hassan Nasrallah and expanding to several senior party leaders.
The threats have now reached to the current Secretary-General, Sheikh Naim Qassem, whose 'croaking' we hear from time to time when instructions come to him from People's Palace Museum or the Presidential Palace of Protocol, where he is said to communicate with Ali Khamenei, who has assumed the responsibility of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution in Iran since 1989.
However, the principled stance—or orthopraxy— of President Joseph Aoun, who held his post on January 9, 2025, remains a solid and resolute bulwark against what Sheikh Naim Qassem and his frogs have said! Meanwhile, the term orthopraxy , rooted in Greek, means sound or correct conduct.
The main references for the issue of disarmament in Lebanon are represented by United Nations resolutions, the most prominent of which are: Resolution 1559 (2004) that calls for the disarmament of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias and affirms that the monopoly on the use of force should rest solely with the Lebanese state.
Resolution 1701 (2006), adopted in the aftermath of the July 2006 war, calls for cessation of hostilities and an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, with the Lebanese government controlling all its territory. It also demands the establishment of a weapons-free buffer zone between the Blue Line and the Litani River. Political epistemology in the face of 'Hezbollah's exclusive weapons'
Political epistemology—if we may borrow the term— is more deeply concerned with how we know and what gives us the right to claim that we know. In this context, it can serve as a useful lens for understanding Hezbollah's 'demagoguery' and the 'exclusivity of Hezbollah's weapons,' which receives instructions from the 'Leadership House' (in Persian: Bayt-e Rahbari), the residence and office of Iran's Supreme Leader since June 4, 1989—just one day after Ayatollah Khomeini's death.
But what have Hezbollah's weapons done to Lebanon other than destruction, devastation, and economic collapse, along with direct losses estimated at $14 billion and indirect economic losses reaching $7.2 billion? Estimates for the cost of rebuilding Lebanon in the wake of the conflict with Israel range between $11 and $15 billion, with damage to infrastructure and buildings reaching $6.8 billion.
Reconstruction funding and efforts to revive Lebanon's economy relies on the 'exclusivity of Hezbollah's weapons' raising demands that all arms be placed under state authority to ensure national sovereignty. This comes at a time when Israel is threatening to strike Hezbollah's weapons depots, carry out further assassinations of its leaders and members, and cause more devastation to Lebanon. Saudi diplomacy and the effective role in resolving regional issues
As Saudi Arabia plays a strategic role in advancing the two-state solution after the success of New York Conference and the wave of international recognition of the State of Palestine, Saudi diplomacy can also play a constructive role in the Lebanese issue.
The Kingdom has played pivotal roles in Lebanon for decades, especially since the end of the Lebanese civil war in 1989. Most notably, Saudi Arabia was the main sponsor of the Taif Agreement, which put an end to the civil war in Lebanon and laid the groundwork for a renewed political order based on coexistence and balance. After the civil war, the Kingdom provided economic support to foster the infrastructure and rebuild Lebanon, emphasizing the rejection of sectarianism. This came alongside the Kingdom's diplomatic and political mediation to support Lebanon, where bilateral relations are deeply rooted.
King Abdulaziz Al Saud enlisted Lebanese expertise at the beginning of the establishment of the Kingdom, and Lebanon was a stop for the flow of Saudi tourists. The visit of newly elected Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to the Kingdom in January 2024 and his meeting with the Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz and his Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, stood as a testament to these common ties between both countries and the significance of the Kingdom's pivotal role in various regional issues.
This underscores the Kingdom's potential role in disarming Hezbollah in Lebanon, as it views the group's arsenal as a threat to the security and stability of the region. The Kingdom has repeatedly called for Hezbollah's disarmament, highlighting that Lebanon cannot achieve lasting stability while the group possesses weapons — undermining the institutions of the Lebanese state and hinders the independence of the Lebanese political decision. The Kingdom also saw Hezbollah's relations with Iran as a tool for Tehran to expand its regional influence.
However, the current détente between Saudi Arabia and Iran can introduce a new dynamic for Saudi diplomacy.
Related Topics:
Lebanon's President Vows to Disarm Hezbollah Amid Rising Tensions
US Envoy Warns Hezbollah Against Iran-Israel War Involvement
Year-end Review: Hezbollah-Israel Conflict Ends with Ceasefire in 2024
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