US envoy says Hezbollah 'defeated', must not be in Lebanon government
A senior U.S. official visiting Beirut said Friday that Hezbollah's presence in Lebanon's new government was a red line, calling the Iran-backed group "defeated" in its war with Israel.
The visit by U.S. Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus comes as prime minister-designate Nawaf Salam struggles to form a government amid political pressure from dominant blocs insisting on their share of ministerial portfolios.
Lebanon’s sectarian power-sharing system allocates key positions among Christian, Shiite, Druze and Sunni factions with dominant blocs - like Hezbollah and Amal Movement for the Shiites, and the Lebanese Forces and the FPM for the Christians - insisting on certain ministerial portfolios.
Lebanon is desperate for funds to rebuild after the conflict and a prolonged economic crisis.
"We have set clear red lines in the United States that they (Hezbollah) won't be able to terrorize the Lebanese people, and that includes by being a part of the government," Ortagus said after meeting President Joseph Aoun, long seen as Washington's preferred candidate.
In response, Lebanon’s presidency said in a statement on X: "Some of what was issued by the U.S. Deputy Envoy to the Middle East, Morgan Ortagus, from Baabda expresses her point of view, and the Presidency is not concerned with it."
More than a year of hostilities has weakened Hezbollah, allowing Lebanon's divided parliament to elect Aoun and approve Salam as premier after more than two years of political deadlock.
Israel has decimated much of Hezbollah's leadership and capabilities, including its chief of more than three decades, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. The ousting of Syrian ally Bashar al-Assad further disrupted the group's arms supply line.
"Hezbollah was defeated by Israel and we are grateful to our ally Israel for defeating Hezbollah," said Ortagus.
- 'Reign of terror' -
Ortagus was in Lebanon for her first official visit abroad after being appointed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
"The end of Hezbollah's reign of terror in Lebanon and around the world has started and it's over," said Ortagus.
Hezbollah has played a major role in the country's politics for decades, flexing its power in government institutions while its fighters tangle with Israel.
Ortagus voiced hope the incoming government "will ensure that we start to end corruption, that we end influence from Hezbollah, and that we embark on the reforms for a greater country".
The international community has long demanded reforms to unlock billions of dollars in aid after a financial crisis took hold in 2019, widely blamed on corruption and mismanagement.
Salam said Wednesday that his government would exclude all members of political parties and anyone who planned to run in parliamentary elections. In Lebanon, traditional political parties are widely accused of corruption.
The prime minister said he did not want to allow "anyone inside (the government) to obstruct its work in any way whatsoever".
Hezbollah and its ally Amal have insisted they approve any Shiite ministers Salam wants to name. Salam has refused to do so.
Sectarian power-sharing has often been used to obstruct political life when parties refuse to compromise -- a strategy that had left Lebanon without a president for two years until Aoun's election.
- Ceasefire deadline -
Salam has vowed to enact reforms and "rebuild a state", as well as implement a U.N. resolution that calls for Israel to withdraw from Lebanon and for Lebanon's army and U.N. peacekeepers to be the only forces deployed in the south.
After meeting Ortagus, Aoun said that "consultations to form a new government are nearly completed", while also calling on Israel to withdraw from Lebanon's south.
"The Lebanese army is ready to deploy in villages and towns from which Israeli forces withdraw," he said, insisting they pull out within the agreed timeline.
Washington played a key role in brokering the November 27 ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon, which ended more than a year of hostilities, including two months of all-out war.
Under the deal, Lebanon's military was to deploy in the south alongside U.N. peacekeepers as Israel withdrew over 60 days.
Hezbollah was also to pull back north of the Litani River -- about 30 kilometers from the border -- and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure in the south.
The withdrawal period was extended to February 18, after both sides accused each other of violations, and Israeli troops still remain in some areas.
Ortagus said Washington was "very committed" to the new withdrawal date.
Source: Agence France Presse, Associated Press
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