Kataeb Party political bureau member Joelle Bou Abboud said Lebanon must move from political decisions to implementation, including efforts to place all weapons under State control, arguing that the country could not afford to wait for the outcome of U.S.-Iranian negotiations.

Speaking on Voice of Lebanon radio and VDL24 television, Bou Abboud said it was natural for Prime Minister Nawaf Salam to meet with Iran’s president in New York, but criticized Tehran’s continued support for Hezbollah and what she described as its disregard for Lebanon’s sovereignty.

“The meeting itself was perfectly normal, but Iran’s support for the resistance is unacceptable,” she said. “Iran continues to violate Lebanon’s sovereignty and treat the country as part of its sphere of influence. That is why the meeting did not go well.”

Bou Abboud said the problem was with the Iranian regime, not the Iranian people, and expressed hope that political change in Tehran would come soon and help restore stability across the region.

She said the Lebanese authorities had taken sovereign decisions, particularly their decision to negotiate with Israel, but that the government now needed to move toward implementing them.

“The Lebanese State has taken sovereign decisions, particularly its decision to negotiate with Israel,” she said. “Now we need to move from decisions to implementation. But the State is waiting for the outcome of the U.S.-Iran talks, and that wait may not serve Lebanon’s interests. The outcome could even work against Lebanon.”

Bou Abboud said the problem was not the framework agreement itself but the failure to implement earlier government decisions, including those aimed at ensuring that all weapons are held exclusively by the State.

“Hezbollah’s ability to change the status quo is over,” she said. “Its weapons brought Israel into Lebanon and gave Israel a pretext to remain in the south.”

She called for Hezbollah’s weapons to be removed at the same time as Israel withdraws from Lebanese territory, saying the two steps should be carried out simultaneously.

“The two conditions have to be implemented at the same time, step for step,” she said.

Bou Abboud said a recent message from Kataeb leader Sami Gemayel to Salam was intended to recognize the prime minister’s sovereign decisions and urge him to push for their implementation.

She also said it was natural for the State to dismantle Hezbollah’s influence within public institutions, adding that some government ministries should take steps in that direction.

On Hezbollah’s political standing, Bou Abboud said the group was politically isolated, pointing to parliamentary sessions as evidence that the political landscape was changing.

“Hezbollah is politically isolated, and that has become clear in parliament,” she said. “The dynamics have changed both inside Lebanon and across the region. If this government falls, we will not accept a return to the experience of 1975.”

“We are calling on the Lebanese State to do its job because, whatever the justification, we will not accept a return to Hezbollah’s control,” she added.

Bou Abboud said the changing regional landscape had opened a window of opportunity for Lebanon to move toward greater stability.

“The regional circumstances have changed, and Lebanon needs to take advantage of this window of opportunity,” she said. “The government must be firm in implementing every decision related to placing weapons under State control.”

Commenting on a widely circulated video of Gemayel, Bou Abboud defended his record of opposing Hezbollah, saying he had refused to enter political settlements when others had done so.

“Those close to us, before anyone else, should recognize that Sami Gemayel has been the strongest and most outspoken voice against Hezbollah,” she said. “He was the only one who refused to enter political deals when everyone else was doing so. When it comes to Lebanon’s sovereignty, no one can claim a stronger record than Sami Gemayel.”

Bou Abboud also rejected renewed calls for dialogue with Hezbollah, saying such efforts would only delay the issue of its disarmament.

“Calls for dialogue are no longer useful when they are simply meant to dilute the issue,” she said. “Hezbollah does not want to hand over its weapons, and its decision-making is fundamentally not Lebanese. Anyone who continues to call for dialogue with Hezbollah is seriously mistaken.”