Lebanese army must be given 'means' to disarm Hezbollah: French FM to AFP

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Friday that Lebanon's army must be given the means to disarm militant group Hezbollah and replace a United Nations peacekeeping force after its mandate ends this year.

On the final stop of a regional tour that has taken him to Syria and Iraq, Barrot was meeting senior officials in Beirut on Friday, with discussions expected to address preparations for a March conference in Paris in support of the Lebanese army.

"France's vision for Lebanon is that of a strong, sovereign state holding a monopoly on arms," Barrot told AFP.

"The first step to fulfil this mission is to give the Lebanese Armed Forces the means to continue the work of disarming Hezbollah," he said.

The Iran-backed group emerged weakened from its latest war with Israel, which ended in a November 2024 ceasefire agreement.

A French diplomatic source said "the regional context makes the issue of Hezbollah's disarmament particularly sensitive", adding that "there is a window for progress on this matter" given the "weakening of the Iranian regime".

Iran and the United States held talks in Oman on Friday that were seen as a critical chance to avert any new escalation between the foes.

Iran had insisted the talks would be centred solely on its nuclear programme, although the United States wanted to discuss issues including Tehran's backing for militant groups in the region.

Barrot said Lebanon's army should "replace" the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) "when the time comes for the withdrawal" of the peacekeepers.

"We must now prepare for the post-UNIFIL" stage, he said.

Last year the UN Security Council decided to conclude the mandate of the force -- which has acted as a buffer between Israel and Lebanon for decades -- at the end of this year, after the US and Israel sought its departure.

- Army plan -

In line with the 2024 truce, the Lebanese army announced in January that it had completed the first phase of a government plan to disarm Hezbollah, covering the area between the Litani River and the Israeli border about 30 kilometres (20 miles) further south.

"The Lebanese government has shouldered its responsibilities by launching and carrying through to completion the first phase of this disarmament plan," Barrot said.

"The second phase must now begin, and the plan associated with this phase is to be presented in the coming days, and in any case before the conference is held," he continued, referring to the March 5 meeting in Paris.

The second phase concerns the area between the Litani and the Awali rivers, around 40 kilometres south of Beirut.

Hezbollah has so far refused to hand over its weapons north of the Litani.

Barrot is also set to meet Lebanese army chief Rodolphe Haykal, who this week held meetings with officials in Washington.

The United States is applying intense pressure on Lebanon to speedily disarm Hezbollah.

On Thursday, influential Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said he cut his meeting with Haykal short after asking him whether the Lebanese military considered Hezbollah to be a "terrorist" organisation.

Graham said that Haykal replied, "No, not in the context of Lebanon."