Hezbollah Leader Threatens ‘No Life in Lebanon’ if Government Attempts To Seize Terror Group’s Weapons

FDD | Aug 15, 2025

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem.  (Photo by Tasnim News Agency, CC BY 4.0, Wikipedia)

Latest Developments

• Qassem Warns of Civil War in Lebanon: Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem gave a fiery speech on August 15, warning that there would be “no life in Lebanon” if the Lebanese government moves forward with its plan to impose a state monopoly on arms and disarm the Iran-backed terrorist organization. “The resistance will not surrender its weapons while aggression continues [and] occupation persists,” Qassem said, adding that Hezbollah “will fight it … if necessary to confront this American-Israeli project, no matter the cost.” He further pressed the Lebanese government “not to hand over the country to an insatiable Israeli aggressor or an American tyrant with limitless greed.”

• Hezbollah Threatens Protests at American Embassy: Despite his veiled threats, Qassem insisted that “there is still room for discussion, for adjustments, and for a political resolution before the situation escalates to a confrontation no one wants.” However, he went on to add that “if [disarmament] is imposed on us, we are ready, and we have no other choice … At that point, there will be a protest in the street, all across Lebanon, that will reach the American embassy.”
• Prime Minister Rejects Qassem Speech: Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam responded to Qassem’s speech hours later, calling the Hezbollah leader’s “veiled threat of civil war … completely unacceptable.” Regarding Hezbollah’s accusations that the Lebanese state is acting on behalf of Israel and the United States, Salam asserted, “The talk that the Lebanese government is implementing an American-Israeli project is baseless … our decisions are purely Lebanese, made in our Council of Ministers, and no one dictates them to us.” He added that “no party in Lebanon is authorized to bear arms outside the scope of the Lebanese state” and that “no one has demanded that Hezbollah’s weapons be handed over [to Israel], but rather to the Lebanese army.”

FDD Expert Response

“For months, Hezbollah sought an accommodation with the Lebanese state to buy time and make disarmament impractical while it regenerated its arsenal. The recent cabinet decision on disarmament overcame that. But Hezbollah has another weapon — the overwhelming Shiite support it can command. Hezbollah is now trying to manipulate the greatest fear in the Lebanese national psyche, sectarian violence. Qassem is now offering the government a choice: either return to partnership with Hezbollah or move forward with disarmament and see Lebanon plunged into civil war as a consequence.” — David Daoud, Senior Fellow

“The pressure is now on the Lebanese government to demonstrate to the United States and Israel that it is prepared to disarm Hezbollah despite Naim Qassem’s threats. However, we should temper our optimism, as the Lebanese state could backtrack on its commitments at any time, citing fears of a potential confrontation with Hezbollah and its Shiite popular base. The hope remains that Lebanon will take meaningful action rather than resort to rhetoric aimed merely at appeasing American and Israeli demands.” — Ahmad Sharawi, Research Analyst

FDD Background and Analysis

“Lebanese President Aoun Holds Firm on Hezbollah Disarmament During Beirut Talks With Top Iranian Security” — FDD Flash Brief

“Lebanese Government Instructs Army to Develop Plan for State Monopoly on Weapons as Hezbollah Refuses to Disarm,” FDD Flash Brief

“Lebanon’s Death by a Thousand Hezbollah Cuts,” by Hussain Abdul-Hussain

“‘Addressing Iran’s Support For Terrorism’: Treasury Sanctions Hezbollah Financiers in Lebanon and Iran,” FDD Flash Brief