Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam clarified that the demand to disarm Hezbollah and deploy the Lebanese Army across all of the country’s territory does not originate from the Americans, but from Lebanon itself.
Talking to the press from the inauguration of a street commemorating the victims of the August 2020 Beirut Port explosion, he noted that these principles are already outlined in the official government statement that received parliamentary approval, which states: “Weapons will be held solely by the Lebanese state.”
Salam added that this is also a longstanding commitment, included in an agreement signed roughly thirty years ago, affirming that “the state will extend its sovereignty over all its territory.”
He stated that during a cabinet meeting this week, a mechanism is expected to be established for implementing these commitments.
The Prime Minister also reiterated his government's commitment to bringing those responsible for the port blasts to justice. He declared that "no one is above accountability" and called on everyone to "keep their hands off the judiciary," insisting that the government will not compromise on truth or justice.
"We will facilitate everything the judiciary asks of us in pursuit of the investigation," he said, emphasizing his administration's support for an independent and unhindered judicial process into the devastating 2020 blast.