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.

Hezbollah, which has suffered heavy losses in the war with Israel over the past year—including the deaths of thousands of terrorists and the destruction of civilian areas—has so far refused to surrender its weapons but is reportedly considering reducing its arsenal.

However, the U.S. under President Donald Trump's administration is placing renewed pressure on Lebanon's new government to crack down on Hezbollah's illicit activities.