A year after the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, Lebanon once again stands on the brink of chaos. What was supposed to be a fragile truce has morphed into a political trap, as Washington and Tel Aviv intensify pressure on Beirut to disarm the powerful militant group. The Lebanese government-already paralyzed by economic collapse, political fragmentation, and a dwindling sense of sovereignty-is being asked to do what no administration has ever succeeded in doing: dismantle Hezbollah’s vast military structure and sever its ties with Iran. The ultimatum from the United States is clear-either disarm Hezbollah or face the threat of another devastating war.

According to reports, the United States has delivered an unambiguous message to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam: without concrete steps to curtail Hezbollah’s finances and dismantle its weapons network, Washington cannot guarantee that Israel will remain restrained. In essence, the US has made Lebanon’s internal security a precondition for preventing another Israeli intervention.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, has taken a far more aggressive tone. Repeatedly, he has declared that Israel is prepared to “destroy Hezbollah” if necessary. Netanyahu and his defense minister, Israel Katz, have accused the group of rebuilding its arsenal and expanding recruitment efforts since the ceasefire took effect in November last year. Israel’s military claims to have struck hundreds of Hezbollah targets across southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley in recent weeks, killing numerous fighters and destroying caches of weapons allegedly smuggled in from Iran through Syria.

For Tel Aviv, Hezbollah represents not just a Lebanese militia but an Iranian proxy-an extension of Tehran’s regional influence. Netanyahu’s government believes that the only way to guarantee long-term security along its northern border is to neutralize the group entirely.

Yet Hezbollah’s leadership has made it equally clear that disarmament is not an option. The organization’s current secretary-general, Naim Qassem, has issued stern warnings to the Lebanese government, rejecting any initiative to strip the group of its weapons or to engage in direct negotiations........

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