The American envoy for the Middle East, Morgan Ortagus, holding a rocket alongside a Lebanese soldier. (Credit: @MorganOrtagus/X)
U.S. envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus continues to draw attention. After sparking controversy with her hostile remarks about Hezbollah and for wearing a Star of David ring during a meeting with President Joseph Aoun, Ortagus on Sunday posted a photo on X of herself holding a rocket while standing next to a Lebanese soldier. "All in a day’s work," she wrote in the caption.
Arms expert Riad Kahawji, cited by al-Modon, identified the weapon as a 107mm Katyusha rocket. He suggested that Ortagus may have intended to reference Hezbollah’s military arsenal or the group’s withdrawal from certain areas of southern Lebanon. On X, he described it as "another message for change in Lebanon and the start of a new era" under Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s new government.
Meanwhile, An-Nahar, citing a website specializing in military equipment, reported that the rocket was an Iranian Hasib Fajr 1.
The image quickly drew reactions from Lebanese social media users, some of whom resurfaced an old photo of Free Patriotic Movement leader Gebran Bassil. In May 2019, during a tour in the Jbeil district’s village of Ras Osta, Hezbollah gifted Bassil a shell casing. He later posted a photo of the casing repurposed as a vase.
Reactions ranged from praise to criticism
Many social media users also voiced support for Ortagus’ political actions, while others openly expressed admiration for her. “And God created Morgan Ortagus on the eighth day. You insist on making the Lebanese fall in love with you... You hit a soft spot: the Lebanese Army. God bless you. And please do not drop that object,” one user wrote on X.
"Thank you for your clarity and straightforwardness in addressing the defeat of the Iranian proxy. You spoke for the Lebanese majority. It's time to restore peace in the region. Lebanon and Israel have needed it, 2,500 years overdue," wrote another.
Other reactions criticized the U.S. envoy's stances. "Your support of the Zionist entity shall not prevail in Lebanon. We stand firm on the importance of our sovereignty as a nation. Israel is our enemy, and this will not change. We made this point clear," wrote journalist Mohammad Ghamlouch from the Qatari station Al Araby.
"Hideous war criminal," commented another internet user. "This soldier does not honor the Lebanese Army, and we do not trust him to protect us from the terrorist Israeli enemy," she added, referring to the soldier seen alongside Ortagus.
Also on X, journalist Hassan Allaik — formerly for the daily al-Akhbar aligned with Hezbollah — railed against "those responsible" for what he called a "farce," calling for an investigation into them "regardless of their rank, up to the acting army commander."
"The President of the Republic, as commander-in-chief of the armies, and the Prime Minister, as a champion of reforms, are required to put an end to these behaviors that insult our sovereignty and national dignity. The work of our army and the efforts of its soldiers and officers are not toys to be paraded by a foolish hand seeking to score points against us in favor of Israel," he declared. "To build a state, one must first ensure maximum sovereignty against an aggressive foreigner, and one must also maintain the maximum image of sovereignty," the journalist added.
After her meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun last Friday, American envoy Morgan Ortagus stated that Hezbollah should not be part of the government, while emphasizing that "the reign of terror" of Hezbollah "in Lebanon and the world is over."
This article was originally published in French in L'Orient Le-Jour.
