"We always bring up the issue of disarming Hezbollah and all militias in the country. We continue to press the Lebanese government to fully implement the ceasefire," US Deputy Special Envoy Morgan Ortagus stated last night (Sunday) in an interview with Lebanese channel LBCI, after the senior American official completed a round of meetings with Lebanese leadership over the weekend.
"We have supported the Lebanese Armed Forces for many years with training, funding, and equipment. Now the army is truly capable, under President Michel Aoun's leadership, to take additional control, and we will help them reach these goals," she explained in the interview. Regarding when Hezbollah would be disarmed, Ortagus said that from her perspective, this should happen as soon as possible, and there might not be an official timeline.
"The sooner the Lebanese Armed Forces succeed in meeting their goals and disarming all militias, the sooner the Lebanese people will be free from foreign influence, terrorism, and fear," the American envoy said. She added that "in the last ten years, things have been very frustrating, between the explosion [at the port] and the financial collapse, but now there is a group of people pushing to implement economic reforms requested by the International Monetary Fund, the US, and Arab Gulf partners."
Ortagus emphasized, "The government and people of Lebanon must choose – to cooperate with us to disarm Hezbollah, implement the ceasefire, and put an end to corruption, or the option of delay [of processes] and here they should not expect partnership with us."
The American envoy also said she did not discuss the issue of normalization with Israel with any Lebanese officials: "What we are focusing on now is implementing the ceasefire, disarming Hezbollah, and economic reforms. We hope that later, we will reach the stage of negotiations and resolution of border disputes and additional issues between Lebanon and Israel. The Lebanese president did not refuse in my presence to establish three diplomatic committees to discuss the issues of detainees, border demarcation, and Israeli army withdrawal."
In the interview, Morgan Ortagus mentioned her superior, United States Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, is currently engaged in diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia and working to secure the release of American hostages from Gaza. Ortagus also spoke about her participation in the Abraham Accords process during the first Trump administration, describing it as "a beautiful moment" in her career.
When asked about Lebanon's economic future, Ortagus stressed that implementing reforms is crucial for the country's recovery. "If you want to make Lebanon great again, you must implement these reforms," she stated, referencing a sign she had seen during her visit. She described Lebanon's financial condition as "devastating" rather than merely "precarious," emphasizing that radical reforms would be necessary to save the country.
Ortagus declined to comment on whether Israel would continue targeting Hezbollah, stating, "I don't speak for Israel." However, she reiterated that the US position remains clear regarding the need for Hezbollah's disarmament as part of any lasting ceasefire agreement.
