The Marada Movement says all political forces, especially Hezbollah, must withdraw from regional obligations to preserve Lebanon's sovereignty.
The Marada Movement, meeting at its Ashrafieh headquarters, reaffirmed its commitment to a "Lebanon First" policy and called on all political parties, particularly Hezbollah, to abandon regional commitments in order to protect Lebanese interests. The movement said that adherence to regional allegiances pulled Lebanon into conflicts that did not serve its own survival or stability.
According to a statement from the meeting, the Marada Movement characterised Iran's military presence in Lebanon as an occupation that had invited Israeli military action in return. The movement cited fighting in the Thal Ali al-Tahir hills as evidence that the current conflict in southern Lebanon transcends Lebanese interests and instead represents a struggle between the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' goal of securing Tehran's military position and Israeli objectives ahead of upcoming elections.
The movement's weekly gathering brought together dozens of members from across its constituency, according to the statement released after the session. The assembly included senior figures and representatives from Christian and Maronite communities aligned with the party.
The Marada Movement's statement reflects deepening tensions within Lebanon's political landscape over the role of armed groups and their ties to foreign powers. The party has long positioned itself as a defender of Lebanese state sovereignty against what it views as encroachments by larger regional actors using Lebanese territory to pursue their own strategic interests.
By invoking the "Lebanon First" principle, the Marada Movement sought to distinguish its stance from other political forces it says have subordinated Lebanese national interests to regional alignments. The movement argues that Lebanon's stability depends on keeping the country out of conflicts that originate elsewhere and that benefit foreign powers rather than Lebanese citizens.
The party's specific focus on Hezbollah reflects disagreements within Lebanon's political establishment over whether armed groups should maintain military capabilities and regional operational commitments. The Marada Movement contends that such arrangements expose Lebanon to retaliation and prevent the state from exercising full control over its territory and foreign policy decisions.
Fighting in the Thal Ali al-Tahir hills, which the movement cited as evidence of foreign occupation, has been a flashpoint along Lebanon's southern border. The movement portrayed the violence there as illustrative of how Lebanon becomes a theatre for conflicts between regional and international powers pursuing objectives that have nothing to do with Lebanese welfare.
The Marada Movement's statement made no distinction between what it called Iranian and Israeli occupations, treating both as external impositions on Lebanese sovereignty. This framing reflects the party's long-standing position that Lebanon benefits only when it stands apart from regional conflicts and maintains equal distance from all outside powers.
The movement did not outline specific mechanisms for persuading Hezbollah or other parties to accept its position on regional commitments. Instead, it restated its own principles and appealed to broader Lebanese interests, suggesting that the Marada Movement views the issue as fundamentally one of national survival that should transcend partisan differences and unite political forces around a Lebanese-centred agenda.
