Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem warned on Friday that the Lebanese government’s decision to disarm the group could lead to civil war, vowing to fight to preserve its weapons.

He criticized the decision as a breach of the national coexistence pact and urged the government to focus on confronting Israeli occupation instead.

Qassem said Hezbollah and the Amal Movement had postponed protests but left the option of escalation open, warning that future demonstrations could reach the U.S. Embassy in Beirut.