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3. Confronting Suicidal Radicals: Full Resolve, No Half-Measures

When a country is gripped by a deep existential crisis and confronted with an armed conflict sparked by external aggression, polarized positions often become unavoidable. This is especially true – and bears repeating – when it comes to the actions of Iran’s proxies and their regional backer, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Once again, it is essential to keep emphasizing that Lebanon, along with the broader region, is facing a regressive societal project – driven by a faction rooted in a destructive conception of space and time, one that shows little regard for the individual or for “the human being as an absolute value,” as the late Melkite bishop of Beirut and founder of the Social Movement, Grégoire Haddad, often stressed.

To provide a more concrete illustration of the current context, one need look no further than the remarks made – on various occasions – by figures who are now, or were until recently, central to the actions of the Iranian axis.

Let us give credit where credit is due… Hezbollah’s Secretary-General, Sheikh Naim Qassem – who is occasionally capable of clarity – delivered yet another rhetorical display a few days ago. Though clearly intended for internal consumption (on the occasion of “Jerusalem Day,” established by Khomeini), his words reflect the mindset of a faction increasingly disconnected from the realities of the world.

“We are not weak in standing up against the projects of the United States and Israel (!),” he stated confidently, before adding, “The resistance is here and will remain (…), and if Israeli aggression continues, we will resort to other options.”

The head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, Mohammad Raad, was even more explicit on this matter, openly criticizing – without any subtlety – the position of the president and the government regarding the monopoly on arms held by legitimate forces and the authority over the decision of war and peace, which should be exclusively in the hands of the central state. The MP went even further in his trademark arrogance, insisting that those who defend this sovereign position should not be fooled or blinded by power, which he described as “temporary,” and added, laying it bare, that “the state alone is not capable of defending the country and its people.”

In just a few short sentences, Raad outright dismissed both President Joseph Aoun’s inauguration speech, the ministerial declaration, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s latest interview, the terms of the ceasefire agreement concluded with Israel on November 27, and UN Security Council Resolutions 1701, 1559 and 1680.

This unwavering commitment to militarism is clearly in line with a broader, extremist and self-destructive trend, likely rooted in Tehran, and most certainly within the ranks of the IRGC. Former Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (who held office from 2013 to 2021) recently denounced what he referred to as “radicals” (Iranians), stating in an interview published a few days ago in the daily Iran that they had engaged in several terrorist operations in 2015 to undermine the nuclear deal. Rouhani further emphasized that these “radicals” constantly insisted that the only viable path against the West was through fight and confrontation. His comments echo those made by former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who also publicly criticized the actions of these Iranian “extremists,” accusing them of secretly working to thwart efforts to secure the nuclear agreement.

The existence of a broad transnational radical movement advocating for “war for the sake of war,” with no clear or achievable goal, is far from a mere illusion. These radicals, in decline but still presenting a genuine threat, have a clear counterpart in Lebanon, where they too disregard the legitimate aspirations of the vast majority of Lebanese. These aspirations stem from a simple yearning to live a “normal” life after decades of enduring endless, fruitless wars with no clear end in sight, while the true balance of power is ignored..

In light of the grim, deadly and self-destructive course forcefully imposed by the warmongers of the Iranian camp, certain members of the government must now fully align with the sovereigntist stance of the new regime, without hesitation, compromise or half-measures…