The U.S. Declares Hezbollah's Presence in Lebanon's Future Government a 'Red Line'

Morgan Ortagus, the U.S. Special Envoy for Middle East Affairs, emphasized during her visit to Lebanon that Hezbollah cannot play a role in the country's future government. On Friday, February 8, after meeting with the President of Lebanon, she told reporters that Hezbollah's presence in the future government is a red line for the United States. Hezbollah is a militant group and a political party that controls a large part of southern Lebanon. Ortagus is the first senior U.S. official to visit Lebanon since Donald Trump took office and Joseph Aoun was elected as President of Lebanon. This visit comes as the cabinet formation process in Lebanon has reached a deadlock. In Lebanon, government positions are divided based on sectarian quotas. The Amal Movement, an ally of Hezbollah, insists on the approval of all Shiite ministers, which has stalled the government formation process. Ortagus stated that she is 'not afraid' of Hezbollah, which is supported by Iran, because the group has 'militarily failed.' She added, 'We have set clear red lines from the United States, according to which Hezbollah can no longer threaten the people of Lebanon, and this includes its presence in the government.' The United States considers Hezbollah a terrorist organization, while the European Union has listed its military wing as a terrorist entity but does not classify its political wing as such. The political wing of Hezbollah also has representatives in the Lebanese parliament. Hezbollah, a group supported by the Islamic Republic, has become a powerful political and military force since its establishment in 1982 and faced months of airstrikes and ground operations by Israel in southern Lebanon last year. However, the group claims the outcome of the war was a victory and asserts that it was able to prevent Israeli ground forces from advancing deep into Lebanon. The clashes ended in late November with a ceasefire brokered by the U.S. and France. According to this agreement, Israel was to withdraw from southern Lebanon within 60 days, Hezbollah would pull back its forces and weapons from the area, and the Lebanese army would be deployed there. This deadline was later extended to February 18. Ortagus referred to this date on Friday but did not clarify whether the Israeli army would completely withdraw from Lebanese territory. She stated, 'February 18 will be the time for redeployment. Israeli forces will complete their deployment, and after that, Lebanese forces will enter the area. We are fully committed to this date.' Ortagus emphasized that the United States is 'grateful to our ally, Israel, for defeating Hezbollah' and expressed appreciation to Aoun and designated Prime Minister Nawaf Salam for what she called their 'commitment to preventing Hezbollah's presence in the government and continuing the disarmament process of this group.' However, Aoun and Salam have not made any public commitment to removing Hezbollah from the government. Hezbollah and the Amal Movement hold a significant number of seats in the Lebanese parliament, and any new government requires the parliament's vote for approval. Supporters of Hezbollah protested after Ortagus's remarks by burning tires and displaying images of Hassan Nasrallah and Hezbollah's yellow flags in the streets near Beirut airport. Mohammad Raad, the head of Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc, called Ortagus's remarks 'an obvious interference in Lebanon's internal affairs and against diplomatic norms.' The Lebanese presidential office also stated that some of Ortagus's comments were her personal views and not the official position of the Lebanese government. Angry Hezbollah members gathered near Beirut airport on Friday, burning tires and waving Hezbollah's yellow flags. Ortagus is set to continue her visit by meeting with Nawaf Salam and Nabih Berri, the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament and leader of the Amal Movement, and will also travel to southern Lebanon with the Lebanese army.