Beirut, Lebanon – The United States has made it clear that Hezbollah, a Shi’ite armed group, should not be part of Lebanon’s next government. This statement came from Morgan Ortagus, the U.S. deputy Middle East envoy, during her visit to Lebanon. She is the first senior official from the U.S. to come to Lebanon since President Donald Trump took office and since Joseph Aoun became president.
Ortagus said her visit is important because Lebanon is having trouble forming a new government. In Lebanon, government jobs are shared among different religious groups. Hezbollah’s ally, Amal, wants to approve all Shi’ite ministers, making it hard to move forward.
After meeting with President Aoun, Ortagus confidently said she is “not afraid” of Hezbollah because they were defeated in a war against Israel last year. “We have set clear red lines from the United States,” she explained, emphasizing that Hezbollah shouldn’t be able to scare the Lebanese people by being in the government.
Last year, Hezbollah faced heavy attacks from Israel, which ended with a ceasefire in late November. This ceasefire was arranged by the United States and France, requiring Israel to leave southern Lebanon, Hezbollah to remove their fighters, and Lebanese troops to take over the area.
Ortagus mentioned February 18 as an important date when Israeli troops would finish leaving Lebanon. She said, “February 18 will be the date for redeployment,” confirming the commitment to this schedule.
During her visit, Ortagus plans to meet with Lebanese prime minister-designate Nawaf Salam and parliament speaker Nabih Berri, who leads Amal. She will also visit southern Lebanon with the Lebanese army.
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