US meddling in Lebanon sparks popular protests, political uproar
6 Min Read
The controversial statement of US envoy Morgan Ortagus calling for Hezbollah’s exclusion from the country’s government was met with demonstrations and political rejection.
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Lebanese people burn an Israeli flag as they protest against statements made by US Deputy Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus after she met with the country's president, in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Feb. 7, 2025. (AP)
Tensions flared in Lebanon on Friday after Morgan Ortagus, the US Deputy Special Envoy to the Middle East, made provocative remarks against Hezbollah, claiming that "Israel" had "defeated" the Resistance movement and insisting that it be excluded from the country’s next government.
Her statements, delivered from the Lebanese presidential palace after meeting with President Joseph Aoun, triggered public protests and widespread political condemnation.
Public outcry and protests
Outraged by Ortagus’ remarks, Lebanese people rallied outside Beirut’s International Airport, denouncing what they viewed as blatant US meddling in Lebanon’s internal affairs. Some demonstrators also blocked roads in protest, though they were later cleared.
Speaking to reporters at Baabda Presidential Palace after meeting with President Joseph #Aoun, US Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus didn't shy away from bluntly saying that the US "has set clear red lines that [#Hezbollah] won't be able to ... be a part of… pic.twitter.com/kpX5AWiksg
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) February 7, 2025
Ortagus’ remarks were perceived by many as a direct challenge to Hezbollah’s political legitimacy. Various political factions decried her statements as an attempt to sow internal discord and exert pressure on Lebanon’s political process.
Political leaders condemn US interference
Lebanon’s Grand Jaafari Mufti, Sheikh Ahmad Qabalan, issued a stern rebuke, asserting that “Lebanon belongs to the Lebanese alone, and Hezbollah is a national force with widespread representation.” He warned that excluding Hezbollah and its ally, the Amal Movement, from the government could destabilize the country.
“Hezbollah has never been and will never be defeated," he asserted.
The Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP) also criticized Ortagus’ remarks, arguing that they undermined international goodwill following the election of President Aoun and the appointment of Nawaf Salam as prime minister-designate. The party accused the US of stoking internal divisions and backing Israeli aggression.
Diplomatic protocols under question
The Assembly of Lebanese Political Parties and National Figures condemned Ortagus’ “blatant violation of diplomatic norms,” asserting that no foreign official has the right to dictate the composition of Lebanon’s government or attack Hezbollah, which it described as “the primary force resisting Israeli occupation.”
The Central Command of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party called for a formal diplomatic response, urging the Lebanese Foreign Ministry to summon the US ambassador in protest. The party dismissed Ortagus’ remarks as reflecting “a renewed American delusion that Lebanon is under US control," warning that reality would prove otherwise.
Raad on Ortagus' statement: Clear interference in Lebanese sovereignty
Responding to the audacious statement of US Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus from the presidential palace after meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, where she bragged that "Hezbollah was defeated by Israel and we are grateful to our ally Israel for defeating Hezbollah," the head of the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc, MP Mohammad Raad, condemned her remarks as "an attack on a national Lebanese component that is part of national accord and Lebanese politics."
Raad also slammed Ortagus' claim that the US 'has set clear red lines that they won't be able to ... be a part of the government' as "a blatant interference in Lebanese sovereignty and a breakaway from all diplomatic norms and the bases of international relations.”
⭕ تصريح نائبة المبعوث الأميركي إلى الشرق الأوسط، مورغان #أورتاغوس، زاخر بالحقد وبانعدام المسؤولية.
— قناة الميادين (@AlMayadeenNews) February 7, 2025
⭕ تصريحات أورتاغوس تدخل سافر في السيادة اللبنانية وخروج عن كل اللياقات الدبلوماسية.
رئيس كتلة الوفاء للمقاومة النائب محمد رعد#لبنان #الولايات_المتحدة pic.twitter.com/uLbGBLU49H
The Lebanese MP also described Ortagus' statement as "filled with hatred and devoid of responsibility," noting that it "reveals her hostility toward a Lebanese component that confronted and defeated Israeli aggression."
Furthermore, he stressed that "those who wish to speak about corruption do not embrace terrorism," emphasizing that what the Israeli occupation is doing—while being "embraced by American policy—undermines the credibility of the democracy that the US administration claims to uphold at all times and places."
The head of the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc denounced the US-backed Israeli aggression, stating, "The ugliness of Israel’s war on Gaza and Lebanon is enough for all people to realize who in fact supports, funds, and arms terrorism and who is responsible for displacing people from their land and stripping them of their rights, all while violating international law and norms."
He further stated, "The victor is the one who has exposed the true image of the aggressor, revealing how it commits genocide against civilians, children, and women, targets homes and hospitals, and destroys entire residential neighborhoods—keeping in mind that is still stands as an occupation that has no right even to self-defense."
Raad reaffirmed Lebanon’s commitment to resistance, adding, "We are counting on the will of our people who remain committed to the choice of resistance,” emphasizing that this choice “protects Lebanon under the equation of the army, the people, and the Resistance."
“This is the realistic equation Lebanon can be proud of protecting its sovereignty through,” he concluded.
Speaking of US “red lines” from the Lebanese presidential palace earlier today, US Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus said they include Hezbollah not “being a part of the [Lebanese] government."
She audaciously thanked “our ally Israel” for allegedly “defeating Hezbollah”.
On the February 18 deadline for Israeli withdrawal from South Lebanon, Ortagus referred to the new date without explicitly saying the Israeli army would withdraw from Lebanese territory. Instead, she spoke of redeployment.
"February 18 will be the date for redeployment, when the IDF troops will finish their redeployment, and of course, the (Lebanese) troops will come in behind them, so we are very committed to that firm date," she said.
Following her remarks, the Press Office of the Presidency of the Lebanese Republic issued on Friday a statement denying any involvement in "some" of the US envoy’s comments.
"The Press Office of the Presidency of the Lebanese Republic clarifies that some of the comments made by US Deputy Special Envoy to the Middle East, Morgan Ortagus, during her visit to Baabda Palace, express her point of view, and do not concern the Lebanese Presidency,” it read.
