For non-Arabic speakers:
This conversation is conducted in Arabic. If you don’t understand Arabic, I’ve published an extensive English summary on my LinkedIn that explains the full discussion, context, and key takeaways in detail.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/lebanons-army-hezbollahs-state-power-new-map-region-general-4qf1e
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tawiljean/
X: https://x.com/Jean_Tawil_
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In this in-depth conversation, me and General Marwan Issa explore the realities shaping Lebanon’s security, politics, and geopolitical position.

General Issa explains how the Lebanese Army’s military doctrine is directly constrained by political decisions, why the army cannot act independently of the government, and how this limits any unilateral action against Hezbollah.

The discussion covers Lebanon’s border security challenges, counterterrorism operations against ISIS, and the behind-the-scenes realities of military coordination along the Syrian frontier. General Issa also details Lebanon’s extensive military cooperation with the United States, NATO, and European partners, stressing that these relationships are interest-based and essential to the army’s survival.

A central focus is Hezbollah’s dual military and political role. General Issa explains why Hezbollah cannot be treated as an external armed group under Lebanese law, how the 2008 Doha Agreement granted it formal political legitimacy, and why disarmament is impossible without a broader regional decision involving Iran.

The conversation expands beyond Lebanon to examine Iran’s strategic calculus, U.S. policy toward Lebanon, and why Washington maintains one of its largest embassies in Beirut. We also discuss the Caucasus, the Zangezur Corridor, Turkey’s role, and how global energy routes and great-power competition indirectly shape Lebanon’s future.

General Issa concludes with a blunt assessment: Lebanon’s crisis is structural. Without political reform, an independent judiciary, decentralization, and an end to sectarian paralysis, Lebanon will remain trapped between internal fragmentation and regional power struggles.

This episode offers a rare, grounded perspective on why Lebanon is stuck and what would need to change for it to move forward.