Hezbollah must not be in Lebanon’s government, says US envoy

Morgan Ortagus visits Beirut as Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam looks to finalise cabinet

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Hezbollah's "reign of terror" is over and the militant group and political party should not be allowed to participate in Lebanon's government, a new US envoy said on Friday.

Morgan Ortagus, deputy special presidential envoy for the Middle East, arrived in Beirut on Friday. She is the most senior American official to visit Lebanon since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House and the new Lebanese leadership was chosen.

Her meeting with Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun at the Baabda Palace came as Lebanon's Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam held negotiations to finalise his cabinet.

“We have set clear red lines in the United States that they [Hezbollah] won’t be able to terrorise the Lebanese people, and that includes by being a part of the government,” Ms Ortagus said after her meeting with Mr Aoun.

"Hezbollah was defeated by Israel and we are grateful to our ally Israel for defeating Hezbollah," she added.

Mr Aoun's office later released a statement on X saying: “Some of what was issued by the US Deputy Envoy to the Middle East, Morgan Ortagus, from Baabda expresses her point of view, and the Presidency is not concerned with it.”

The Lebanese President told Ms Ortegus that Israel must stop bombing southern Lebanon, destroying homes and killing civilians.

Despite a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, Israel has continued to carry out strikes on Lebanon. Both sides have accused the other of breaching the truce.

Last month, the Israeli military opened fire on people trying to return to their homes in southern Lebanon, killing at least 22, including a Lebanese soldier, and injured more than 120.

Damage and debris in the southern Lebanese village of Al Taybeh, near the border with Israel. AFP

Washington has insisted that the influence of Hezbollah in the cabinet must be diminished, despite the group and its political ally, the Amal Movement, controlling all 27 Shiite seats in Lebanon's 128-seat parliament.

Mr Aoun was the preferred presidential candidate of the US, but not Hezbollah.

Under the terms of the ceasefire deal, the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers are to increase their presence in southern Lebanon as Hezbollah and Israeli forces withdraw from the area. The Lebanese army has done so in many areas, but not all.

The withdrawal deadline has been extended to February 18, after both sides accused each other of breaching conditions of the agreement.