Mustaqbal: Hizbullah Battle Reflects Iranian Decision to Seize Control of Lebanon

Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc warned Tuesday that Hizbullah's eastern border operation reflects an “Iranian decision” to “seize control of Lebanon.”

“The bloc discussed the developments of the ongoing battles in Arsal's outskirts in the face of terrorist groups, expressing dismay over Hizbullah's unilateral decision to launch the battle while bypassing the Lebanese state and its legitimate political, military and security institutions,” said Mustaqbal in a statement issued after its weekly meeting.

It added: “Hizbullah's unilateral decision to wage this battle reflects the Iranian leadership's decision and its plots to seize full control of Lebanon's eastern border region, in coordination with the Syrian regime, to pave the way for seizing full control of Lebanon, subjugating its political system and turning it into one similar to the Iranian and Syrian regimes.”

Accordingly, the bloc emphasized that “there is no political or national legitimacy under any excuse for Hizbullah's fighting in the eastern border region.”

Mustaqbal also called on the government to seek the deployment of the Lebanese army in areas from which jihadist militants are being ousted to “enable Arsal's residents to return to their farms and run their businesses.”

It also called for utilizing U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 in terms of “asking the Security Council to approve expanding the jurisdiction of UNIFIL forces to assist the Lebanese army in protecting Lebanon's eastern and northern borders, in the vein of the successful experience in the South.”

Hizbullah's major offensive against al-Nusra Front has entered its fifth day and most of the Arsal outskirts region has been captured from the hands of the jihadist group.

Hizbullah is expected to launch a similar operation against the jihadist Islamic State group in the border region in the near future.

Nusra and IS militants had overrun Arsal in 2014 before being ousted by the army after days of deadly battles.

The two groups were also responsible for sending several bomb-laden cars and suicide bombers into Lebanon under the excuse of responding to Hizbullah's military intervention in neighboring Syria.