Morgan Ortagus, American envoy to Lebanon. (Credit: Mohammad Azakir/Reuters)
Morgan Ortagus, the American envoy to Lebanon, was interviewed Thursday evening on the local channel LBCI. She was asked about the impact on Lebanon of President Donald Trump's visit to the Middle East this week and some of his significant statements, such as lifting sanctions against Syria.
"President Trump decided that his first overseas visit during his mandate would be to the Middle East, which shows the importance he places on the Middle East, the Gulf countries and Saudi Arabia in particular," she stated. "Whatever the challenges in the Middle East, we will work closely with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar to resolve them," she added.
Trump was in Riyadh on Tuesday before heading to Qatar and then to the Emirates on Thursday.
Asked about Lebanon, Ortagus stressed that "both the U.S. and Gulf countries have been clear with this country: The path to prosperity never seen before lies in disarming Hezbollah, not just south of the Litani but across the entire territory."
Hezbollah came out significantly weakened from the last war with Israel in 2023-2024. The cease-fire of November 2024 relies on Resolution 1701, which stipulates its disarmament, although it still resists it.
As for the impact on Lebanon of lifting sanctions against Syria, the American diplomat was categorical: "Lebanon could learn from [Syrian President Ahmad] al-Sharaa and how he collaborated with Saudi Arabia to engage with President Trump and our team to demonstrate the benefits of lifting sanctions against his country, notably those included in the Caesar Act [which paved the way in 2015 for sanctions against Syrian officials for crimes against humanity]. He took the initiative and we provided him with a list of actions he must take, including the protection of minorities in the Middle East, such as Christians, Kurds, Druze and Alawites."
"We not only want these minorities to be protected, but to be involved in power. We want to ensure that he governs Syria in the interests of all. I believe Sharaa understands that the path Syria must take is not through war with its neighbors, whether Lebanon, Israel or any other country. He understood that he must seek peace," she added.
Speaking of peace, is normalization between Lebanon and Israel on the table following recent statements by Steve Witkoff, President Trump's envoy to the Middle East, about the possibility that Lebanon and Syria might join the Abraham Accords? To Ortagus, these accords, which sealed in 2020 the normalization between Israel and four Arab countries (UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco), are "a great achievement of Trump's first term."
"His policy is one of peace, that's why he asked us to negotiate with Iran," she said. "We wish for peace for everyone, not just for Lebanon, but peace can only come with strength, and in this sense, I think he will be a historic president, and President [Lebanese Joseph] Aoun can be too," she said.
Asked about the sanctions imposed Thursday on members and associates of Hezbollah by the U.S. Treasury, Ortagus stated that "pressure on Iran, which also extends to Hezbollah, has been maximum since the start of Donald Trump's mandate, in order to pursue any illicit financing of the Islamic Republic's proxies." She specified that she and Witkoff have promised to tirelessly seek out individuals who continue to facilitate this flow of funds to Hezbollah. "You should expect more sanctions against anyone helping Hezbollah receive illicit financing," she added.
In response to a question, Ortagus estimated that it is not the Israeli occupation of five points in southern Lebanon, despite the November 2024 cease-fire, that serves as justification for Hezbollah to keep its weapons. "This party has not needed justification to arm itself for the last 40 years, and in the last 20 years, it has dragged the Lebanese people, especially the southern people, against their will, into two destructive wars with Israel," she recalled.
"In the U.S., we want a better future for all the Lebanese people, but especially the southern Shiites; we want a new economic leadership with President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and we can only do that if the Lebanese Army holds the monopoly of weapons across the entire territory," she continued.
When asked if she plans to visit Lebanon in June, Ortagus responded, "Inshallah," adding that she does not have a visit planned currently.
This article was translated from L'Orient-Le Jour.
