BEIRUT, Lebanon, March 31 (UPI) -- Lebanon has been stepping up efforts to break free from decades-long Iranian influence -- largely wielded through its most powerful regional armed proxy, Hezbollah -- amid a destructive U.S.-led war against Tehran and its regime.
The weakening of Hezbollah, including the killing of its top leaders and military commanders during the war the militant group launched against Israel in support of Gaza on Oct. 8, 2023, made such an approach possible.
With the election of a new president and new prime minister -- Joseph Aoun and Nawaf Salam, respectively- - it became necessary to consolidate state authority and sovereignty, disarm Hezbollah and save crises-ridden, cash-strapped Lebanon from collapsing.
Since August, the Cabinet has pursued a series of bold, but calibrated, measures to contain Hezbollah, including partial disarmament in southern Lebanon and moves to designate its military and security activities as unlawful after the group joined the war on Iran on March 2.
It also turned against the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, accusing it of commanding the battles against Israel from Lebanon, outlawing its activities within the country and instructing security services to arrest its operatives for deportation.
