Lebanese President Joseph Aoun Declares Internal War With Hezbollah

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has shifted the state's approach toward Hezbollah, adopting a confrontational stance that departs from the accommodation seen under previous presidencies. During a speech commemorating the 81st anniversary of General Security, Aoun characterized the current situation as an "internal war" with a faction that stands in opposition to the state and its institutions.

This policy shift breaks with a long history of Lebanese leaders—including Elias Hrawi, Emile Lahoud, Michel Suleiman, and Michel Aoun—who largely treated Hezbollah's arsenal as a legitimate resistance force due to influence from Syria and Iran. While Michel Suleiman eventually described the formula of the army, people, and resistance as a "wooden equation," previous administrations generally avoided challenging the group's military capabilities.

Analysts indicate that Aoun's current boldness is enabled by a weakened regional Iranian axis. Specifically, Hezbollah's recent military setbacks against Israel and the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria have reduced the group's leverage within Lebanon.