IRIA News

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High-level defense officials from France, Saudi Arabia, and the United States met with the head of the Lebanese army in Paris on December 18, 2025, to finalize a roadmap to establish a mechanism for the disarmament of Hezbollah.

The meeting comes against the backdrop of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreed in 2024 that ended more than a year of intense cross-border fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

The conflict significantly weakened the Iran-backed group but failed to resolve the core issue of Hezbollah’s arms, leaving Lebanon exposed to renewed escalation and internal political strain.

Since the ceasefire took effect, Israel and Lebanon have repeatedly accused each other of violations. Israeli officials have questioned the Lebanese army’s efforts to disarm Hezbollah, while Israel has continued to carry out airstrikes targeting what it describes as Hezbollah infrastructure across southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, and, at times, Beirut’s southern suburbs.

These strikes have intensified in recent months, heightening concerns among diplomats that the ceasefire could collapse. European and Lebanese officials described the current situation as highly volatile, with little margin for miscalculation.

“The situation is extremely precarious, full of contradictions, and it won’t take much to light the powder keg,” one senior official said.

Paris Meeting Reinforce Mechanisms

Officials involved in the Paris talks said the goal was to strengthen the existing ceasefire framework by creating more robust conditions to identify, support, and verify any disarmament process, while also discouraging further Israeli escalation.

According to diplomats, discussions focused on documenting the Lebanese army’s actions more systematically and transparently, backed by evidence, to demonstrate progress and reduce the scope for accusations.

Speaking after the meeting, France’s foreign ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux said participants agreed on the need to “document seriously with evidence the Lebanese army’s efforts to disarm Hezbollah” and to reinforce the ceasefire mechanism already in place.

With the Lebanese army widely seen as lacking the capacity to disarm Hezbollah on its own, officials discussed reinforcing the mechanism with French, U.S., and potentially other military experts, alongside existing U.N. peacekeeping forces operating in southern Lebanon.

The parties also agreed to hold a conference in February aimed at strengthening the Lebanese army, Confavreux said. A separate conference focused on reconstruction, particularly in southern Lebanon, is also under consideration as part of a broader effort to stabilize the country.

Political Constraints in Beirut

Diplomats cautioned that Lebanon’s internal political dynamics could further complicate any disarmament push. Legislative elections are due in 2026, raising fears that political paralysis and factional competition will deepen instability and reduce the willingness of the country’s leadership to confront the issue of Hezbollah’s weapons.

President of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun, is wary of making the disarmament process too public, fearing it could inflame tensions with the Shi’ite community in southern Lebanon, where Hezbollah enjoys significant support.

“Aoun doesn’t want to make the disarmament process too public because he fears it will antagonize and provoke tensions with the Shi’ite community in the south of the country,” a senior Lebanese official recently told reporters.

This caution reflects a broader dilemma facing Lebanese authorities: pressing too hard risks internal unrest, while moving too slowly risks renewed Israeli military action and further erosion of sovereignty.

Israeli Strikes Coincide with Talks

As officials convened in Paris, Israeli airstrikes hit multiple locations in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, according to Lebanon’s state news agency. The timing of the attacks underscored the fragility of the situation and added urgency to diplomatic efforts.

The Israeli military said it struck Hezbollah targets across several areas, including a military compound used for training, weapons storage, and artillery launches. It said the activity violated understandings between Israel and Lebanon and posed a direct threat to Israeli security. The military also said it targeted a Hezbollah militant in the area of Taybeh in southern Lebanon.

Commenting on the strikes, Lebanon’s parliament speaker and Amal Movement leader Nabih Berri, a key Hezbollah ally, described the attacks as an “Israeli message” to the Paris conference.

Hezbollah’s Position Remains Unchanged

Despite international pressure, Hezbollah has refused to fully disarm, arguing that ongoing Israeli attacks justify its continued military posture. In his latest speech, the group’s leader, Naim Qassem, reiterated this stance, signaling little appetite for concessions in the absence of a complete halt to Israeli strikes.

This refusal remains one of the central obstacles to any durable settlement. While Hezbollah’s military capabilities were degraded during the 2023–2024 fighting, the group retains significant influence and firepower, complicating efforts by the Lebanese state to assert exclusive control over armed forces.

A Narrow Window for Diplomacy

Diplomats involved in the Paris process stressed that the current moment represents a narrow window to stabilize the ceasefire and prevent a slide back into open conflict. Strengthening verification mechanisms, reinforcing the Lebanese army, and providing political cover for gradual steps toward disarmament are seen as essential to keeping the process alive.

At the same time, officials acknowledged that progress will be slow and uneven, constrained by Lebanon’s domestic politics, regional tensions, and Israel’s security calculations. With violence continuing on the ground even as diplomacy unfolds, the risk of miscalculation remains high.

For now, the Paris talks reflect a renewed push by France, the United States, and regional partners to shore up a failing ceasefire and address one of the most sensitive issues in Lebanese politics. Whether those efforts can translate into concrete steps on the ground and prevent another round of conflict remains uncertain.