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BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Hezbollah dismisses Lebanon's move to restrict arms as ''a grave sin'
Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shia militant and political movement, says it will disregard a decision by Lebanon's government to task the army with establishing a state monopoly on arms."We will treat this decision as if it does not exist," Hezbollah said in a statement on Wednesday, describing it as a "grave sin".The comments come despite mounting international pressure for the group to Iranian-backed group was significantly degraded in last year's war with Israel but has, so far, refused to give up its arsenal, despite calls from the US and domestic rivals. Hezbollah also said that the Lebanese cabinet's decision to try and confine arms supply and production to state forces was the result of American "diktats".It added that it was open to dialogue and discussions on "the national security strategy", but not "in the context of aggression".On Tuesday, Lebanon's cabinet asked the military to present a plan that will see all arms brought under state control by the end of the plan is to be presented to the cabinet by the end of this month for discussion and approval, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam told a press conference after the six-hour cabinet meeting. In June, American officials presented a roadmap to Lebanese authorities that proposed Hezbollah's full disarmament in exchange for Israel halting its strikes and withdrawing troops from five locations in southern Lebanon, which have been occupied despite a ceasefire deal reached in November. The group's leader, Naim Qassem, in a televised address while the cabinet meeting was underway, said Hezbollah would not discuss "the issue of the weapons" while Israeli attacks continue, accusing Israel of breaching the terms of the ceasefire. Israel says its attacks are to prevent Hezbollah from regrouping and its weakened status, Hezbollah still enjoys significant support among Lebanon's Shia Muslim population, and discussions around its disarmament risk elevating tensions in the country, where many still remember the 1975-1990 civil war.
Reuters
6 hours ago
- Reuters
Hezbollah says Lebanon cabinet decision to seek state monopoly on arms is 'grave sin'
BEIRUT, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Hezbollah said on Wednesday the Lebanese government was committing a "grave sin" by tasking the army with establishing a state monopoly on arms, sharpening a national divide over calls for the Shi'ite Muslim group to disarm. Despite unprecedented pressure from Washington and from its domestic rivals, the Iran-backed group has refused to fully relinquish its arsenal, which it retained after Lebanon's civil war ended in 1990 even as other militias disarmed. Now, the U.S. has demanded Lebanon's cabinet explicitly pledge to strip Hezbollah of its weapons - a move that risks reigniting tensions in Lebanon, a nation of multiple sects where Hezbollah retains significant support among Shi'ites. The cabinet on Tuesday tasked the Lebanese army with drawing up a plan to confine arms across the country to six official security forces by year's end. Hezbollah rejected the decision in a written statement on Wednesday, saying it was a result of U.S. "diktats" and that it would "deal with it as if it does not exist". "The government of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam committed a grave sin by taking a decision to strip Lebanon of its weapons to resist the Israeli enemy... This decision fully serves Israel's interest," the group said. The statement said Shi'ite ministers walked out of the cabinet session before the decision was reached as "an expression of the resistance's (Hezbollah's) rejection of this decision". The group said it remained ready to discuss a broader national security strategy and called on its supporters to remain patient. The session at Lebanon's presidential palace was the first time the cabinet addressed Hezbollah's weapons - unimaginable when the group was at the zenith of its power before a devastating war with Israel last year. A U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel in November ended that conflict, called on Lebanon to confiscate all "unauthorized" weapons across the country and said Israel would stop offensive operations against Lebanese targets. But Israel has kept its troops at five points in Lebanon's southern border region and has continued air strikes against what it says are Hezbollah fighters and arms depots. In June, the U.S. submitted a roadmap to Lebanese officials that proposed Hezbollah fully disarm in exchange for Israel withdrawing its troops and halting its strikes. Hezbollah and its main ally, the Amal Movement led by parliament speaker Nabih Berri, have demanded the order be reversed, saying Israel must halt its strikes before any discussion on weapons can be held. On Wednesday, Amal said Lebanon's government should focus on consolidating the November ceasefire and said the next cabinet session on Thursday would be a chance to correct course. Ministers will meet again on Thursday to continue discussions on the U.S. proposal. Imad Salamey, chairman of the Lebanese-American University's Department of Political and International Studies, said the country's Shi'ite community, hit hardest by last year's war, was now concerned that relinquishing Hezbollah's arms would leave them vulnerable to further Israeli attacks. "We are most probably going into a polarized political landscape," he told Reuters.
Sky News
7 hours ago
- Sky News
British couple Lindsay and Craig Foreman make first call home since being detained in Iran
A British couple detained in Iran have spoken to their family for the first time in seven months. Lindsay and Craig Foreman, from East Sussex, were detained in January while on a motorcycle tour around the world and were later charged with espionage. The pair deny the allegations. Speaking to Sky News, the couple's son said the eight-minute phone call gave him a "massive, overwhelming feeling of relief". Joe Bennett said: "They seemed to be pretty good mentally. And they say that they're being looked after as well as possible and making the best of the conditions. "We laughed, we cried. You know, we talked about how things were happening and how they got to where they are." Mr Bennett said when he saw the phone ring, he "got nervous" as he had not spoken to his mother for quite some time. He added: "But as soon as we started speaking to one another, the reconnection that we'd lost along the way was there again." Mr Bennett said he was able to ascertain from the short call on Tuesday that his parents had been transferred by plane a week ago from Kerman to Tehran. He described the situation as "seven long, long months", but said the call was "reassuring". Mr Bennett added: "And now it just kind of gives us the energy to kick on and get them home." The family believe the couple were held together when in Kerman, but reports have since suggested the pair are being detained in separate prisons. Mr Bennett urged the Iranians to "continue to show compassion" as he called for regular consular access and further phone calls to ensure "their welfare is maintained". He added: "The phone call that we received from them was such a boost for us as a family and it would have been a huge, huge boost for the two of them to have heard their family voices for the first time in seven months. "We're going to keep fighting. We've got to keep pushing to make sure that we get them home as soon as humanly possible." The Iranian Embassy said it "remains committed" to providing consular access to Mr and Mrs Foreman and will "continue to cooperate" with the British Embassy in Tehran. The couple's transfer was said to have been carried out with the consent of the British Embassy. A spokesperson for the Iranian Embassy added: "The case of these two individuals is proceeding through its judicial and legal stages in accordance with the domestic laws and regulations of the Islamic Republic of Iran and after the completion of normal procedures, the judicial hearings related to the case will be held." Mr Bennett said a lack of timeline in regard to any potential court action was "deeply worrying". He explained that while the phone call sparked a feeling of "happiness and joy", the reality is that both Mr and Mrs Foreman remain incarcerated. Mr Bennett added: "And they've still be detained for far, far longer than they should have been. So, we just need to keep on making sure that we're doing everything we can to get them home as soon as possible." The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advises British and British-Iranian nationals, who are at significant risk of detention, not to travel to the Middle Eastern country. A spokesperson said: "We are deeply concerned by reports that two British nationals have been charged with espionage in Iran.
