WANA (Aug 16) – While much of the media’s attention is fixed on Lebanon’s crisis, what is unfolding in Beirut is far more than an internal affair—it is directly tied to Iran’s future. The project to disarm Hezbollah, pursued under pressure from Washington and Riyadh, targets not only Lebanon’s fragile balance but also one of the central pillars of the Islamic Republic’s regional strategy. For Tehran, preserving the arms of the Resistance in Beirut is not merely about defending a political-military group; it represents a vital stronghold against Washington’s long-term strategy to dismantle the “Axis of Resistance” stretching from Baghdad to Sana’a and from Damascus to Tehran.

 

The Disarmament Domino and Iran’s Role

From the perspective of Iranian analysts, the current trajectory in Lebanon is part of a broader Western strategy: “The attempt to disarm the Resistance in Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq, coupled with increasing pressure to dismantle this axis or sever its connections, is a strategic agenda of the American and Western establishment—implemented with consistency, regardless of which administration is in power.”

 

According to this analysis, if one link in the Axis of Resistance is weakened, the rest are vulnerable to collapse. For Tehran, therefore, safeguarding Hezbollah’s weapons is not just a Lebanese matter but a critical measure to prevent the post-Saddam Iraqi model from spreading to the wider Resistance geography.

A billboard with a picture of late Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is displayed during a mourning ceremony for late Hezbollah leaders Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, who were killed in Israeli airstrikes last year

A billboard with a picture of late Lebanon’s Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is displayed during a mourning ceremony for late Hezbollah leaders Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, who were killed in Israeli airstrikes last year, in Tehran, Iran, February 23, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)

Saudi Arabia: A Pressure Lever Against Iran

Riyadh is among the most influential players in this project. Following the visit of Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, to Beirut and his meetings with Lebanese leaders, Saudi Arabia intensified its pressure. Reports suggest that “the Saudis instructed their allies in Lebanon to push forward the disarmament agenda at any cost—even if it risks civil war.”

 

For Tehran, the message is clear: Saudi Arabia is serving as the front line of the American project. Under such conditions, Iran views the use of regional energy and security pressure levers to contain Riyadh as a strategic necessity. As one analysis put it: “Iran’s use of pressure levers to restrain Saudi Arabia is essential—not only in relation to Hezbollah’s disarmament but also regarding the security of regional energy flows.”

 

A warm public and official welcome awaited Ali Larijani, as groups of Lebanese citizens gathered along the roads leading to Beirut International Airport, waving Iranian and Lebanese flags in greeting. Social Media / WANA News Agency

Hezbollah Secretary-General Meets Larijani, Emphasizes Brotherhood Between Iran and Lebanon

WANA (Aug 14) – Sheikh Naim Qassem, Secretary-General of Hezbollah, met with Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, during Larijani’s visit to Lebanon.   In the meeting, Sheikh Naim Qassem expressed gratitude for the Islamic Republic of Iran’s continued support for Lebanon and its resistance against the Israeli regime. He stressed the […]

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Tehran’s Message in Beirut

Larijani’s one-day visit to Lebanon and his meetings with figures such as Nabih Berri and Sheikh Naim Qassem drew close attention from both Washington and Riyadh. According to Al-Akhbar: “Both sides [the U.S. and Saudi Arabia] are trying to collect details of Larijani’s messages, positions, and communications to Lebanese officials.”

 

Tehran’s message was clear: while Iran does not interfere in Beirut’s internal decision-making, respect for the “value of Resistance” and support for Hezbollah remain non-negotiable. This stance has significantly complicated the disarmament equation and prevents Hezbollah from being isolated.

The arrival of Ali Larijani, in Beirut . Social media/ WANA News Agency

The arrival of Ali Larijani, in Beirut . Social media/ WANA News Agency

Resistance Response and Iran’s Regional Backing

In response to mounting pressure, Hezbollah has taken a firm stance. A recently released video echoed the slogan: “We will never surrender our weapons.” In his latest speech, Sheikh Naim Qassem warned: “The Resistance will never hand over its weapons so long as occupation and aggression persist—and if necessary, we are prepared to engage in a costly confrontation against Israeli and American schemes.”

 

These remarks followed Larijani’s visit to Beirut and the recent statements of Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, who harshly criticized the Lebanese government. The alignment is clear: in the American-Saudi disarmament project, driven through Lebanese domestic forces, Hezbollah is not alone—it enjoys the backing of Iran and Yemen. This support is not merely political or symbolic but operational in nature. Aware of this backing, Sheikh Qassem has introduced a new equation in response to the disarmament push: expelling and halting Israel, threatening the U.S. embassy, and even the prospect of civil war.

Warm public and official welcome of Ali Larijani, as groups of Lebanese citizens gathered along the roads leading to Beirut International Airport, waving Iranian and Lebanese flags in greeting. Social Media / WANA News Agency

A warm public and official welcome awaited Ali Larijani, as groups of Lebanese citizens gathered along the roads leading to Beirut International Airport, waving Iranian and Lebanese flags in greeting. Social Media / WANA News Agency

Implications for Iran

Tehran fully recognizes that Hezbollah’s disarmament goes beyond weakening a Lebanese Resistance group; it represents a strategic encirclement of Iran itself. Some analysts warn that scenarios once applied to Iraq—such as no-fly zones or naval blockades—could, in the foreseeable future, be replicated on Iran’s borders.

 

For this reason, what unfolds today in Beirut constitutes, for Tehran, a “frontline of preemptive defense.” Preserving Hezbollah’s weapons is tantamount to preventing the transfer of conflict into Khuzestan, Sistan, or Kurdistan.

 

Hezbollah’s disarmament is not merely an internal Lebanese dispute. More precisely, it is about redefining Iran’s role in the regional security order. The United States, Europe, and Saudi Arabia—united in a rare consensus—seek to eliminate Tehran’s strategic arm in the Mediterranean. In response, the Islamic Republic perceives this crisis not as an isolated threat but as part of a protracted war of attrition against the Axis of Resistance—a war that, if lost in Beirut, will reverberate in Tehran.