Head of the Kataeb Party's Foreign Affairs Department, Marwan Abdallah, said illegal weapons have brought Lebanon nothing but displacement, occupation and destruction, arguing that promises of being able to eliminate Israel within minutes were merely “illusions sold to the people.”

Speaking in an interview on OTV, Abdallah commented on the emerging U.S.-Iran agreement and sharply criticized Tehran’s position regarding Lebanon.

“Iran is acting as though it is doing us a favor,” Abdallah said. “Hezbollah entered the war in retaliation for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and now they are presenting themselves as the ones who stopped it.”

Abdallah said the time had come for an honest national conversation about the role of weapons outside State control, insisting that all arms in Lebanon should be handed over to the Lebanese State and the Lebanese Army.

“We need to sit down together and acknowledge that these weapons have achieved nothing,” he said. “Every weapon outside the authority of the State should be transferred to the Lebanese Army.”

Addressing a recent post by Kataeb leader Samy Gemayel on X, Abdallah said the message was not directed against the negotiations currently taking place in Washington. Instead, he said, it was a direct response to remarks by the Iranian foreign minister, who claimed that Tehran remained deeply involved in the Lebanese file and had played a role in securing the ceasefire.

Abdallah called on Lebanese leaders to recognize the country’s realities and avoid becoming entangled in regional power struggles.

“We need to understand Lebanon’s true size and role and stay away from regional axes,” he said. “Iran must stop sending weapons into Lebanon, especially since our country has been turned into an arena for settling other people’s conflicts. That situation must end immediately because Lebanon’s national interest is not served by war.”

He also pointed to what he described as contradictions in previous claims linking Lebanon to broader regional agreements.

“On April 6, we were told that Lebanon was covered by the ceasefire agreement involving Iran,” he said. “Yet on April 8, Beirut witnessed a massacre. These realities speak for themselves.”

Abdallah stressed that Lebanon must take responsibility for resolving its own challenges and pursue a clear Lebanese-led negotiating track in Washington. He also emphasized the need to implement the provisions of the ceasefire understandings reached during the June 3 round of talks.

“The solution lies in a direct Lebanese negotiating process in Washington and in honoring the commitments already made under the ceasefire framework,” he said.

He concluded by describing the current negotiations as a pivotal opportunity for Lebanon and urged political leaders to seize the moment.

“Lebanon is facing a critical and historic opportunity through the Washington negotiations,” Abdallah said. “We must use this chance to secure a permanent ceasefire, bring back the prisoners, ensure a complete Israeli withdrawal, and launch the reconstruction process.”