Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem stressed that Lebanon will not accept weakening its defensive capabilities, saying “disarmament efforts serve U.S. and Israeli objectives.”

His remarks came ahead of a U.S. Treasury announcement imposing new sanctions targeting financial and commercial networks linked to Hezbollah.

Washington said the measures aim to disrupt the group’s funding sources, alleging coordination with Iran and the use of informal financial channels, as part of efforts to isolate it from the global financial system.