Lebanese media reportedly instructed to stop calling Hezbollah a 'resistance' movement

The Lebanese Information Ministry has instructed local media to stop using the terms “resistance” and “Islamic Resistance” when addressing the Iranian-backed Shiite terrorist militia Hezbollah, the Lebanese news outlet Al Modon reported on Monday.

Hezbollah is widely considered the crown jewel in the Iranian ayatollah regime’s regional terrorist proxy network, which Tehran officially calls the “Axis of Resistance." The term refers to the Iranian Islamist regime’s ideological opposition to the influence of the United States and the State of Israel’s existence in the region. 

Hezbollah has justified its militarization by officially describing itself as a “resistance” force and “defender” of Lebanon against the Jewish state. However, the new Lebanese government views Hezbollah as a troublemaking player that is dragging the country into a costly war with Israel on behalf of its patron in Tehran. 

Lebanese Information Minister Paul Morcos reportedly sent directives to the country’s media outlets in early March, emphasizing that the government reserves the sole authority over decisions of war and peace. The guidance came after Hezbollah launched missile and drone attacks on Israel, which were described as a violation of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire established in November 2024.

In response, the Israeli military carried out extensive strikes on Hezbollah command centers in southern Beirut and across southern Lebanon. Reports indicate that hundreds of Hezbollah fighters have been killed since early March.

The Al Modon report noted that, for the first time, the Lebanese government had decided to distinguish between Hezbollah’s political and military wings, describing it as a “highly significant shift in Lebanese media discourse.”

The outlet said the cabinet decision separated Hezbollah's political wing from its military wing and is indicative of the Lebanese government’s recognition of Hezbollah as an armed militia operating outside state authority.

Hezbollah, once powerful, has for decades acted as a state within a state in Lebanon, often placing the interests of the ayatollah regime in Tehran above those of the Lebanese state. In recent months, however, the group has been severely weakened, as Israel degraded much of its military capabilities and decapitated most of its leadership, including its former charismatic leader Hassan Nasrallah, in 2024.

The weakening of Hezbollah has enabled the fragile Lebanese state to take bolder action against the Tehran-backed militant group. After Hezbollah’s attack on Israel in early March, Lebanon moved to outlaw its military activities and instructed the Lebanese military to enforce disarmament.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned the attacks on Israel as an “irresponsible act” that endangers Lebanon’s national security. 

“Regardless of who is behind it, the rocket fire from southern Lebanon is an irresponsible and suspicious act that jeopardizes Lebanon's security and safety and provides Israel with pretexts to continue its aggression,” Salam argued in a post on the social media platform 𝕏.

“We will not allow the country to be dragged into new adventures, and we will take all necessary measures to apprehend the perpetrators and protect the Lebanese people,” Salam vowed.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has been calling for a ceasefire agreement with Israel and has pledged that the Lebanese armed forces would “confiscate all weapons” from Hezbollah. 

However, the Lebanese government and its weak military have so far failed to disarm Hezbollah’s remaining military capabilities. Israel has warned that unless Lebanon disarms Hezbollah, the Israeli military will do it.