Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem stressed Tuesday that "no one can dictate to Lebanon that it harm its defense capabilities," warning that "disarmament serves the interests of Israel and America, not the state."

He added: "If the Lebanese state wants to strengthen itself and build a future for our generations, it needs the resistance to support it, because it possesses experience and will. This places a responsibility on the state to see how the resistance can stand alongside it and how it can benefit from its capabilities."