A Lebanese analyst warns that Hezbollah’s escalating attacks on President Joseph Aoun suggest the Iranian-backed terrorist organization is preparing to bring down his presidency.
Hezbollah’s official media outlets have reportedly stopped referring to Aoun as Lebanon’s president, instead calling him the “head of the Lebanese negotiating authority.” They have also accused him of presidential arrogance, national failure and misleading the Lebanese people over the framework agreement with Israel.
The rhetoric signals a widening confrontation over Lebanon’s future. Aoun supports negotiations as the only realistic alternative to continued war, while Hezbollah and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri reject the process and claim the authority to decide which agreements Lebanon may accept.
The analyst, Jean al-Feghali, argues that Hezbollah is systematically withdrawing recognition from Aoun and preparing the political ground for his removal. However, the further claim that Hezbollah may already be planning Aoun’s physical elimination with Iranian assistance.
