USUP President Ibrahim Mrad accuses Hezbollah of driving Lebanon toward collapse in service of Iran

BEIRUT — In what his supporters call a “national wake-up call,” Ibrahim Mrad, President of the Universal Syriac Union Party (USUP), intensified his criticism of Naim Qassem, Deputy Leader of the Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, accusing him of spearheading a “destructive project to ruin Lebanon in service of Iran.”

Mrad condemned Qassem’s recent statement warning of “death and the end of life” should the Lebanese state confront Hezbollah’s weapons, describing it as a shameless and blatant threat. He argued that such remarks prove Hezbollah will never allow the establishment of a genuine state, sovereignty, or rule of law in Lebanon.

“He who boasts of waging a Karbala-like battle and threatens to ignite internal strife is the same figure leading Lebanon’s assassination, erasing its role and its Arab and international standing,” Mrad declared. He stressed that Hezbollah poses the greatest threat to Lebanon’s survival, deliberately driving the country toward total collapse to serve Iran’s agenda.

Political and human rights figures have backed Mrad’s stance, calling it a “unifying national position” that demands an end to armed dominance outside the authority of the state. “Ibrahim Mrad isn’t speaking just for his party, but for a wide segment of Lebanese exhausted by living under constant threat,” activist George Antoun told Assahifa.

Antoun added that calling for UN Security Council intervention under Chapter VII is not an act of betrayal, but rather a means of protecting what remains of Lebanon.

Mrad called for ending the era of fear, urging Hezbollah’s immediate disarmament and the reassertion of state control over all Lebanese territory. He insisted that Lebanon cannot be rebuilt through threats or religious edicts promising death, but only through adherence to a single constitution, a fair judiciary, and a national army as the sole protector of all Lebanese.

He concluded by urging the international community and the UN Security Council to intervene to protect Lebanon from illegal militia weapons, warning that the country’s security and stability have become matters of international peace and security.

Observers note that Mrad’s profile has been rising amid growing public concern over Hezbollah’s impact on Lebanon’s economy, sovereignty, and foreign relations, especially as regional tensions escalate. Supporters say Mrad has “positioned himself in direct confrontation with Lebanon’s most dangerous issue,” calling him “a voice of courage in an era of silence.”