US Special Envoy Morgan Ortagus is expected to arrive in Beirut on Sunday to attend a meeting of the Ceasefire Oversight Committee.
According to information obtained by Nidaa Al-Watan, her visit will focus mainly on technical and military aspects, rather than political ones, while the President of the Republic is due to fly to New York to attend the UN General Assembly.
President Joseph Aoun will deliver Lebanon's speech and hold a series of meetings with heads of state and government in attendance, including US President Donald Trump.
In this context, no major political exchanges are planned in Beirut. The status quo is therefore likely to continue, with Hezbollah standing firm and refusing to surrender its weapons.
A Western diplomat told the daily newspaper Al-Joumhouria that the disarmament of Hezbollah is at the top of the US agenda. A senior Washington official even stated, "The situation in Lebanon will not remain as it is. We believe that a turning point is inevitable and that the future is promising. The Lebanese government has committed to disarming Hezbollah and must now translate this commitment into concrete measures without delay in order to put an end to the threat to the security of Lebanon and its neighbors. The United States remains in constant contact with Beirut and reiterates its full support for this approach, which is the only way to spare the country the burden imposed by Hezbollah's arsenal."
At the same time, communication channels have reopened between Baabda and the Shia militia. Hezbollah's press office announced that André Rahal, advisor to the head of state, met yesterday evening with MP Mohammad Raad, leader of the “Loyalty to the Resistance” parliamentary bloc.
According to Nidaa Al-Watan, this meeting is a continuation of the dialogue between Joseph Aoun and Hezbollah on the issue of disarmament, following the cabinet meetings that established the state's monopoly on weapons. Hezbollah, for its part, said that the discussions focused on “several issues of national interest, in an atmosphere of mutual understanding.”
Finally, as US Ambassador Lisa Johnson prepares to leave Lebanon for good, the arrival of her successor, Michel Issa, is imminent. His appointment has been approved by the House Foreign Affairs Committee; all that remains is the Senate’s approval, which is expected by the end of the month.
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