Morgan Ortagus

Barrack: Lebanon Is on the Right Track

“Lebanon is on the right track,” US envoys Tom Barrack and Morgan Ortagus affirmed Tuesday during their visit to Baabda, where they were received by President Joseph Aoun. Ortagus and Barrack delivered Israel’s response to Lebanon’s proposals on the US roadmap and held discussions with President Aoun on the next steps for ...

Barrack and Ortagus in Baabda Tuesday: A Gradual Israeli Withdrawal from Southern Lebanon?

American envoys Tom Barrack and Morgan Ortagus are set to meet President Joseph Aoun Tuesday morning to deliver Israel’s official response to U.S. proposals aimed at helping Lebanon restore full sovereignty over its entire territory and kickstart the country’s recovery process. The response from Tel Aviv, which addresses the ...

Barrack and Ortagus to Bring Israeli Responses to Beirut on Tuesday

Lebanese official sources said that US envoy Tom Barrack and US official Morgan Ortagus will return to Beirut on Tuesday, bringing Israel’s response on withdrawals, the cessation of attacks and assassinations, and the release of prisoners, along with a US proposal on renewing UNIFIL’s mandate. According to these sources, the Presidency and ...

A Negotiating Margin Out of Reach

Lebanon still has much to accomplish. Despite the government’s declarations, practical steps remain limited, leaving doubts about whether the country is honoring its commitments in the eyes of the international community. This was the core message conveyed during Tom Barrack and Morgan Ortagus’ meetings with Lebanese officials. The points ...

Ortagus to Visit Beirut with Sweeping Proposals

Morgan Ortagus, the Deputy United States Special Envoy to the Middle East, is expected to arrive in Beirut by the end of next week. She will carry a wide-ranging set of proposals aimed at addressing several of Lebanon’s most pressing and controversial issues, according to a report by al-Jadeed television. Among the key elements of the US ...

Hezbollah’s Overused Triptych: Paranoia, Reality, and Danger

Six months after the ceasefire took effect, residents of southern Lebanon are still left wondering who will rebuild their homes. Meanwhile, Hezbollah’s secretary-general clings to the old ideological lifeline—“People, Army, Resistance”—like a castaway clutching his last buoy. Once a rallying cry, the slogan now rings hollow—a mantra ...

Ortagus Urges Full Disarmament of Hezbollah

Deputy United States Special Envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus delivered a strong message on Thursday, declaring that the path to peace and prosperity lies in the full disarmament of Hezbollah, not just in southern Lebanon, but across the entire country. In an interview with LBCI, Ortagus emphasized the unified stance of the US, Saudi ...

In Washington, Morgan Ortagus Praises President Joseph Aoun’s Leadership

At a reception held on Tuesday at the Lebanese Embassy in Washington, Morgan Ortagus, Deputy Special Envoy of US President Donald Trump for the Middle East, reaffirmed the Trump administration’s focus on the region and delivered a strong message of support for Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. A Tribute to President Aoun In her remarks, Ortagus ...

Ortagus Mocks Hezbollah’s No-Disarmament Stance With a One-Word Response

Morgan Ortagus, the US President’s Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East, issued a sharp and minimalist response to the latest speech by Hezbollah’s Secretary General, Sheikh Naim Qassem, who once again declared the party’s categorical refusal to disarm. Reacting to a post quoting Qassem’s remarks, Ortagus replied with just one word: ...

US Envoy Calls for Hezbollah’s Disarmament to Secure Lebanon’s Future

In an interview with Al Arabiya News anchor Hadley Gamble, US Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus urged for the complete disarmament of Hezbollah. She compared the Iran-backed group to a “cancer” that Lebanon must excise if it hopes to recover. During a diplomatic visit to the United Arab Emirates, Ortagus emphasized that ...