A newly appointed U.S. envoy says she hopes Lebanese authorities are committed to making sure that the Hezbollah militant group is not a part of the new government in any form.

U.S. Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus said she was "not afraid" of Iran-backed Hezbollah because it was defeated by Israel, stressing the group should not be part of the new Lebanese government.

Morgan Ortagus is heading a delegation and set to arrive in Lebanon on Thursday night, the first such visit by Trump administration officials.

Hezbollah, a powerful Iran-backed militia, has long been the country’s dominant political force and has formed part of the government for decades.

The United States has declared that Hezbollah, a Shi'ite armed group, should not be involved in Lebanon's government after recent military setbacks. U.S. Deputy Middle East envoy Morgan Ortagus emphasized this stance during her visit to Lebanon,

Morgan Ortagus reaffirmed the Trump administration position that Hezbollah cannot be part of the next Lebanese government, even as Beirut warned that this could create a parliamentarian crisis.

Hezbollah slammed remarks by US Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus as 'blatant interference'

U.S. deputy special envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus gives a statement after a meeting with the Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the presidential palace in Baabda, Lebanon February 7, 2025. REUTERS/Emilie Madi BEIRUT (Reuters) - The United States has set a "red line" that Shi'ite armed group Hezbollah should not be a member of Lebanon's next government after itr military defeat by Israel last year,