Morgan Ortagus, Deputy Special Envoy of the United States for the Middle East, during a meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam (not pictured) in Beirut, on April 5, 2025. (Credit: Mohamed Azakir/Reuters)
During her first visit to Beirut last February, Morgan Ortagus, the U.S. deputy envoy to the Middle East, caught everyone off guard with the sternness of her remarks concerning Hezbollah and her clear bias in favor of Israel. This excludes the now-infamous photo from her February visit, in which she wore a blood-red blazer, held a rocket and posed alongside a Lebanese soldier. And, of course, the ring adorned with a Star of David that she wore during that visit. At the time, much ink was spilled over the incident, and it took several days for Baabda, the Serail, and Ain al-Tineh to recover from it.During her second visit last weekend, the U.S. envoy, once again, caught everyone off guard. On the eve of her arrival, Lebanese officials and ordinary citizens alike held their breath. After a first experience that was unprecedented in its...
During her first visit to Beirut last February, Morgan Ortagus, the U.S. deputy envoy to the Middle East, caught everyone off guard with the sternness of her remarks concerning Hezbollah and her clear bias in favor of Israel. This excludes the now-infamous photo from her February visit, in which she wore a blood-red blazer, held a rocket and posed alongside a Lebanese soldier. And, of course, the ring adorned with a Star of David that she wore during that visit. At the time, much ink was spilled over the incident, and it took several days for Baabda, the Serail, and Ain al-Tineh to recover from it.During her second visit last weekend, the U.S. envoy, once again, caught everyone off guard. On the eve of her arrival, Lebanese officials and ordinary citizens alike held their breath. After a first experience that was unprecedented in its...
