Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sheikh Naim Qassem said on Wednesday that calls for the Iran-aligned militant group's disarmament served only Israel, as the United States ramps up pressure for steps to remove its arsenal.

Following Israel's aggressive assault – its most deadly since the 2006 war – Hezbollah's leadership and financial infrastructure have been pushed to the brink. Up until a few months ago, the drive from Beirut's international airport through the Lebanese capital city's southern suburbs used to feature a stream of pro-Iranian and Hezbollah-themed propaganda.