USUP President Ibrahim Mrad accuses Hezbollah of ‘rebellion’ against Lebanese State, urges immediate disarmament

BEIRUT — In a forceful political statement reflecting Lebanon’s escalating internal tensions, Ibrahim Mrad, head of the Universal Syriac Union Party (USUP), declared that Hezbollah’s refusal to comply with the Lebanese government’s decision to restrict weapons to state control constitutes “not merely a political objection, but a full and explicit rebellion against Lebanese legitimacy and its constitutional institutions.”

In his sharply worded remarks, Mrad condemned Hezbollah — designated as a terrorist organization — for rejecting the cabinet’s decision and attacking the Presidency of the Republic and the Prime Ministry by accusing them of advancing Israeli and American agendas. He described these actions as “an unprecedented political and moral collapse,” saying they confirm that the militia “places itself above the state and beyond any popular or legal accountability.”

Mrad warned that Hezbollah’s defiance was premeditated, noting that its Secretary-General, Sheikh Naim Qassem, announced the party’s refusal to hand over its weapons hours before the government session began. “It is as if Hezbollah dictates the government’s decisions in advance,” he said.

Criticizing what he called the government’s “weak and hesitant approach,” Mrad argued that the authorities should have immediately ordered the Lebanese Army to seize Hezbollah’s weapons caches instead of delaying enforcement. According to him, this delay allows Hezbollah time “to reposition itself and impose new facts on the ground.”

Calling for decisive action, Mrad urged President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam to “rise to the level of national responsibility” and shift “from drafting plans to executing immediate measures” to ensure that all weapons are placed exclusively under the command of the Lebanese Army.

“No defense strategy or national security framework makes sense while the internal threat emanates from the southern suburbs rather than external state actors,” he added.

Mrad concluded by declaring that Lebanon faces a defining choice:

“We stand at a crossroads between the project of a sovereign state and that of a militia-controlled state. No government has the right to betray the dignity of the Lebanese people or falter in confronting this challenge. The choice is clear: either a free, independent Lebanon with one legitimate army or a Lebanon hijacked and paralyzed by militia weapons. Our party has chosen the state and will continue peaceful and political confrontation until the end.”

Mrad’s stance has been gaining traction among Christian and pro-sovereignty Lebanese circles, amid what many describe as the government’s failure to assert its authority against heavily armed groups. As Lebanon grapples with profound political paralysis, Mrad’s call is emerging not merely as a party position but as a broader outcry against compromises that sustain instability, reigniting long-standing questions about national sovereignty and statehood.