Kataeb MP Salim Sayegh issued a stark warning on Tuesday, cautioning that Lebanon’s already fragile state structure is teetering on the brink of collapse. In a wide-ranging interview on LBCI, Sayegh blamed Hezbollah and certain regional actors for pushing the country toward instability, particularly in light of the repeated attacks on United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) troops in the South.

“The state belongs to all of us,” he said. “If it doesn’t stand on its feet, the whole structure will collapse, first on the heads of those destroying it.”

Sayegh condemned the ongoing assaults on UNIFIL forces in southern Lebanon, saying that such provocations would in no way reassute international and regional communities or unlock funds for reconstruction. He argued that these attacks represent a dangerous trend that undermines state sovereignty while playing directly into Israel’s strategic interests.

“The most dangerous development is the apparent will to once again violate the South,” he warned. “Israel is already doing so, erecting surveillance towers and constructing a monitoring barrier along the border. And instead of confronting this with the logic of statehood, we respond with chaos and barbarism; it is the very logic that benefits Israel.”

According to Sayegh, Israel wants UNIFIL gone, mistrusts it, and has made its position abundantly clear. By attacking the peacekeeping mission, Lebanon only hastens that outcome, he said.

Refuting claims that recent attacks were the work of spontaneous local actors, Sayegh affirmed that "people don’t dare act without a structured force behind them.”

According to Sayegh, the real message behind these operations is being sent by Tehran: “Iran is saying loud and clear: we still hold the chaos card in Lebanon. And if you try to build a stable order without us, we’ll ruin it for everyone.”

Sayegh argued that Iran’s ability to destabilize Lebanon remains intact. While its direct grip on Lebanon may have lessened, he said, it retains influence through its proxies.

According to Sayegh, Hezbollah has not renounced its military activities, despite claims from Iranian officials that the group now functions solely as a political party.

“Smuggling from Syria to Lebanon continues,” he said, referring to a recent truck seizure as evidence of Hezbollah’s renewed armed ambitions.

“They’ve rebuilt their infrastructure and are ready for jihadist action," he noted. “This violates the Taif Agreement, international resolutions, and the Lebanese Constitution. It contradicts President Joseph Aoun's inaugural speech, the ministerial statement, and the vision of the new era.”

Sayegh reiterated the Kataeb Party’s commitment to national unity and civil peace.

“We are bound by a sense of human fraternity. We refuse to see any Lebanese displaced from their village. That’s why we launched a campaign of truth and reconciliation,” he said. But the response, he argued, has been disappointing: “There’s a wide gap between words and actions.”

Turning to Palestinian camps, Sayegh said that despite an agreement with President Mahmoud Abbas to disarm the camps and restore state control, Iran intervened to sabotage the process.

“All it takes is for one extremist faction to reject disarmament as an insult to Palestinian dignity, and, suddenly, the atmosphere inside the camps becomes radicalized,” he warned.

“This is a coordinated sabotage effort, involving Israel, Iran, and Hamas, against the Lebanese state and army.”

“If Hezbollah doesn’t want the army or UNIFIL to remain in the South, then let them both withdraw. But the army must prove it is capable of passing the test. It cannot just stand there, taking hits from every direction, and be forbidden from acting.”

He warned that compromising on security leads to compromising on national reform.

“When security becomes a matter of negotiation, the victim and the perpetrator sit at the same table. At the very least, security should not be up for compromise.”

“We will no longer be hostages to decisions made in Tehran and executed in Beirut and the South. If you no longer believe in the state-building project, declare it. You can’t remain ambiguous.”

Sayegh noted that while the ink was still drying on a ceasefire agreement intended to limit the spread of arms across Lebanon, efforts to undermine it began almost immediately.

“If reconstruction takes time, let’s at least put forward a clear timeline and roadmap for disarmament,” he said, recalling that President Aoun had pledged to coordinate with Hezbollah and reach disarmament nationwide by year’s end.

“We took that seriously, but we’ve grown used to promises being made and then broken."

Sayegh appealed for genuine partnership in reform: “We are a democratic republic. We stand beside, before, and behind the President. Let us help, without malice."

“If the judiciary isn’t reformed, we’ll be dragged into the law of the jungle. If justice isn’t served, we’ll publicly declare that we bet on the state and lost. Lebanon should then be placed under international trusteeship.”

He praised Justice Minister Adel Nassar’s integrity and reluctance to accept the post, saying the minister had rightly feared being drawn into political dilemmas.

“Our options remain open. We won’t serve as a fig leaf for any dubious practices," he affirmed.