President Joseph Aoun pledged to reassert the state’s monopoly on weapons and decision-making, declaring that Hezbollah’s military wing is “finished.”

In an interview with Asas Media, Aoun said his mission is not about political survival but about fulfilling his commitment to the Lebanese people.

“I am entrusted with this country as a responsible man, not as a populist who trades and bargains,” he said. “I made a promise to the Lebanese that I would leave them a real state, and I will. This is my pledge to them, always.”

Aoun said Hezbollah now recognizes the trajectory of events and the changing dynamics in Lebanon.

“The party, in its military wing, is finished,” he said. “They come to me fully aware of this reality and this outcome. But they insist on an honorable conclusion, on a dignified exit; that is exactly what we are working to achieve, away from the political noise and populist theatrics sweeping the country ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections.”

Asked whether the group might be stalling, as it has often done since 2005 by shifting positions and betting on regional upheavals, Aoun reacted sharply: “The Shiite community is exhausted. Forty years struggling with no horizon.”

Quoting Imam Musa al-Sadr, Aoun stressed that Lebanon would stand at the forefront of defending Palestine when others do the same, but the country will not fight alone.

“We will negotiate. We have no option but negotiation,” he said.

“Look at Gaza!” he added. “It was destroyed completely after a devastating war, and now everyone is sitting together at the negotiating table.”

Aoun also recounted a tense encounter with Ali Larijani, a senior Iranian official.

“He was sitting right here, in your very seat,” the president said. “He heard from me extremely harsh words, and he was visibly tense: ‘The Shia of Lebanon are my responsibility, not yours.’ Statements of this magnitude — and even stronger — left him trying to hide his agitation until his legs trembled. He left the palace unsettled. Then he requested another meeting, and I declined to receive him.”

Dismissing suggestions that he is driven by personal ambition, Aoun insisted that he is not seeking personal gain.

“I am not a politician of the traditional mold. I am a statesman. And statesmen do what must be done to build their countries, away from petty bickering and populism. My ambition is to create a normal country where we live with dignity, prosperity, and stability, and then hand it over to our children and grandchildren, who deserve a better life than ours.”

Pressed on the army’s role, the dismantling of illegal weapons, and his commitment to his inaugural speech, Aoun stressed that the process requires patience but will reach its “inevitable conclusion.”

“We work with patience and foresight, with wisdom and calm,” he said. “We understand the sensitivities and handle them with great care. But none of that will prevent us from reaching the inevitable conclusion: the state’s monopoly on weapons and the monopoly of decision-making. These are the two basic principles of statehood, and without them, there is no state.”

“These principles do not change,” he added. “Before Resolution 1701 and after it; before Taif and after it; before the Constitution and after it. We either become a state, or we do not.”

Responding to critics who question the army’s ability to assert sovereignty nationwide, Aoun was unequivocal: “Who said the army is incapable? It enjoys full legitimacy and the support of the Lebanese people. These foundations outweigh everything else.”

“I promise you it will operate freely in the south and beyond,” he said. “A state will impose itself on every inch, every grain of soil. Anyone who believes otherwise is delusional.”

Aoun reaffirmed that he will not leave office until he completes the mission he outlined in his inaugural speech.

“I made you a promise at the start of the term and in the oath of office. I remain bound to that promise. I will not leave office until I have completed my mission as it must be completed. Trust that. Things require some time, but we will reach the end, certainly and inevitably.”