Lebanese President: We won't replicate PMF integration in army

Shafaq News/ Lebanon will not integrate Hezbollah into the Lebanese army through a structure similar to Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), Lebanese President Joseph Aoun declared on Tuesday.

Aoun clarified in a press interview that Hezbollah would not be permitted to operate as an independent unit within the army, pointing out that individual members of the group could join the military through formal recruitment.

He emphasized the importance of dialogue in achieving this transition and reiterated the government's decision to centralize all arms under state authority.

The Lebanese president had earlier warned that any weapons outside the control of the state poses a threat to national interests.

The United States and visiting envoys have repeatedly called for a resolution to the Hezbollah weapons issue—particularly in the wake of significant losses the group sustained during its recent conflict with Israel.