Morgan Ortagus, U.S. Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East, upon her arrival at the Grand Serail in Beirut, on April 5, 2025. (Credit: Ibrahim Amro/AFP)
American envoy Morgan Ortagus stated that Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is determined to make "the bold and necessary decisions" for Lebanon's recovery, as the president recently emphasized disarming Hezbollah, following the truce concluded on Nov. 27 between the party and Israel.
During a meeting on Tuesday with the Lebanese ambassador to the United States on the occasion of an official Lebanese delegation's participation in the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, Ortagus claimed to have witnessed courage in President Aoun.
"I saw a leader determined to make the bold and necessary decisions to put Lebanon on the path to recovery," she said. "Whether we live here or in Lebanon, our goal is the same: it is not about going back to 1975 or the so-called 'glory days,' but to build a brighter and more prosperous future than Lebanon has ever known in its history, because I know Lebanon has that potential."
'New phase'
Ortagus stated that "Lebanon is on the doorstep of a new phase, a phase that is better than what preceded," adding, "If you decide to take this path, if you make the difficult decisions I always talk about in the media, I promise you that President Donald Trump, his administration, and the United States will be with you every step of the way, but we cannot go back. We cannot repeat the mistakes of the past. The only way forward is to strengthen the state, advance reforms, and fully revitalize the country—not just return to glory, but enter a new and better phase."
The American envoy further said that the American president will visit the Middle East on his first official visit, heading to Saudi Arabia, highlighting that the American administration places importance on the Middle East region.
"Unfortunately, we inherited a region full of conflicts and chaos, but President Trump is determined to keep his promise to be a president of peace, and that is exactly what we are working on," she said. Donald Trump will travel to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates from May 13 to 16, announced his spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt. This will be the American president's second international trip since his inauguration on Jan. 20, after his planned trip to Rome for Pope Francis' funeral on Saturday.
Lebanese authorities are working for the state to reclaim "the monopoly on weapons," notably after two rocket launches from southern Lebanon towards Israel, to which Israel responded by striking, notably in the southern suburbs of Beirut. Despite the truce, Israel continues to conduct near-daily strikes against presumed Hezbollah members and maintains a presence in southern Lebanon in five positions it deems "strategic."
Last week, the Lebanese president declared he was working to make 2025 the year "of the state's weapon monopoly." On Sunday, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam stated that "the Lebanese state is the sole master of the decision of war and peace, and the only party authorized to possess weapons." Meanwhile, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said on Friday that his party "will not allow anyone to disarm it," calling for "dialogue on a comprehensive defense strategy."
