A well-known Lebanese Shiite scholar and critic of Hezbollah said that Iran "brainwashed" people into supporting the terrorist organization in an N12 News interview on Thursday.
Sheikh Muhammad al-Fu'ani, who lives in exile, said that the group "has brought destruction to Lebanon, and made us the object of hatred and disgust."
"Hezbollah claims to be religious and preaches modesty and morality, but its interior is not pure," he told the network when asked why he opposes the group.
"Therefore, as long as its people do not keep their word, they are not speaking the truth," he added.
Two groups of Lebanese Shiites back Hezbollah, Fu'ani claims
When asked about the state of Lebanon's Shia population, Fu'ani told the interviewer that the population is divided in two groups. One group is made up of "mercenaries" that are ready to "abandon ship."
The other group is being deceived, he claimed, adding that these people were brainwashed by the hands of Iran to believe in a fantasy of religious domination in the region. This group was a sort of "scapegoat," he said.
"[Iran] made them fight, made their children die. Their livelihoods were lost, their dreams shattered, and their memories forgotten," he charged, adding that "[Iran] misled them."
Fu'ani described Hezbollah's current situation as complicated as a result of the heavy losses for the group in past years.
"Those whose children were killed hold a grudge against Hezbollah," he said, "and those who lost their livelihoods and their memories are waiting for the bottom line: that the funding for [Hezbollah] will run out, and there won't be money to pay [salaries,] and they will turn on the group."
As for the first group, he said, "when they see signs of the end of [Hezbollah] they will already abandon" the group.
"For them it's nothing more than a business," he added.
When asked on the likelihood of Hezbollah disarming, Fu'ani showed optimism, citing the aftermath of President Ahmed al-Sharaa's successful overthrow of Bashar al-Assad.
"The Radwan force, militias from Iraq, Assad's Syrian army, and all the mercenaries from Pakistan and Afghanistan, in one moment fled the holy places."
Similarly, he said, Hezbollah will be forced to leave Lebanon.
The consolidation of arms in Lebanon has been mandated by the government but consistently rejected by Hezbollah.
"As far as we are concerned, you are 'the people of the Book,'" Fu'ani said, addressing Israelis, adding that "originally there is no enmity between us and you."
"Know that the Shiites are not part of the terrorist organization, and the Israeli public should tell its government: 'We want good relations with the Lebanese people, and it is your responsibility to make this happen.'"
Direct talks between Israel and Lebanon have been held several times this year, marking the first time in decades that representatives of the two countries meet face to face.
Mediated by the US, discussions have covered a wide array of topics, including Hezbollah's future disarmament and an Israeli withdrawal from positions in southern Lebanon.
The next round of talks are expected to be held in September.