Beirut: US deputy Middle East envoy Morgan Ortagus stated in Lebanon on Friday that the US has set a “red line” that the Shiite armed group Hezbollah should not be part of the country’s next government following its war defeat by Israel last year. Since US President Donald Trump entered office and Joseph Aoun was elected president of Lebanon, Ortagus is the first high-ranking US official to visit the country.
In Lebanon, where government positions are distributed along sectarian lines, her visit coincides with a blocked cabinet formation process. The process has stalled because Amal, an ally of Hezbollah, has insisted on certifying all Shiite Muslim ministers.
After meeting with President Aoun, Ortagus told reporters she was “not afraid” of Iran-backed Hezbollah “because they’ve been defeated militarily,” alluding to the conflict between the group and Israel last year. “And the United States has set clear red lines that they cannot terrorise the Lebanese people, including by working for the government,” she stated.
After months of Israeli airstrikes and ground operations in southern Lebanon last year, Ortagus was generally expected to send a strong message to Lebanese politicians over Hezbollah. A truce mediated by the United States and France put an end to the fighting in late November and gave Israel 60 days to leave south Lebanon.
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