USUP President Ibrahim Mrad: Don’t let Lebanon remain hostage to Iran

BEIRUT — Ibrahim Mrad, President of the Universal Syriac Union Party (USUP), issued a stark warning about the dangers Lebanon is currently facing, stressing that true stability remains elusive so long as the state is held hostage by Hezbollah’s weapons and its alignment with Iran’s regional agenda.

Murad emphasized that the recent visit by US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack comes at a critical juncture amid Lebanon’s deepening political and economic crises. He urged Lebanese authorities to seize this moment to shift from paralysis to proactive engagement, and from foreign dependency to a genuine partnership with the international community.

“The post-presidential election phase must serve as a launchpad to restore the institutions of the state, not as a cover to legitimize the current grip on power,” Mrad asserted. “Persisting in the policy of institutional paralysis while maintaining the militia’s weapons only prolongs Lebanon’s collapse and deepens its international isolation.”

Mrad called on the Lebanese government to stop waiting for regional developments — particularly the ongoing Iranian-Israeli tensions — and instead to act immediately and responsibly in cooperation with global partners, especially the United States, to implement the political, economic, and sovereign reforms that the country so urgently needs.

He also called on the international community not to abandon Lebanon to internal forces aligned with Iran, warning that such neglect would drag the country fully into what he termed the “Axis of Evil” and jeopardize regional stability.

Mrad reiterated the necessity of enforcing international resolutions, foremost among them UN Security Council Resolution 1559, which explicitly calls for the disarmament of all militias — a prerequisite, he said, for rebuilding the state and restoring national sovereignty and independent decision-making.

He concluded by urging all sovereign and patriotic forces in Lebanon to unite around a comprehensive rescue initiative that would restore dignity to the Lebanese people and bring an end to the era of illegitimate arms that has hijacked the republic and its institutions.