U.S. considers Hezbollah’s continued role in the government a “red line.”

WASHINGTON (QJ) – Morgan Ortagus, the U.S. Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East, stated on Friday after meeting Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun that “there should be no fear” of the armed group “because they have been defeated militarily.” However, she noted that the U.S. considers Hezbollah’s continued role in the government a “red line.”

Hezbollah, a Shia Muslim group backed by Iran, is believed to have been weakened by Israel’s recent attacks on Lebanon but continues to hold a significant political role.

“We have clearly drawn red lines… Hezbollah cannot continue to terrorize the Lebanese people, including being part of the government,” Ortagus told reporters.

Following her remarks, Mohammed Raad, head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, condemned Ortagus’s comments, calling them “blatant interference” in Lebanon’s affairs.

Ortagus’s remarks were “full of hostility and irresponsibility” and constituted an attack on part of “Lebanon’s political life,” Raad said in a statement, adding that such remarks amounted to “blatant interference in Lebanon’s sovereignty.”

Ortagus was the first high-ranking U.S. official to visit Lebanon since President Donald Trump took office and since Aoun was elected as president.

Her visit came amid a deadlock in forming Lebanon’s cabinet, where government positions are allocated based on sectarian divisions. The Hezbollah-Amal alliance has insisted on approving all Shia Muslim ministers, holding up the process.

The U.S. and France brokered a ceasefire that ended the conflict in late November, giving Israel 60 days to withdraw from southern Lebanon. Hezbollah was also required to withdraw its fighters and weapons, allowing Lebanese forces to deploy in the area.

However, Israeli forces remained in southern Lebanon to conduct demolition operations in border villages, and the withdrawal deadline was extended to February 18.