Morgan Ortagus, the US envoy to the Middle East, visited Lebanon for the second time. Her visit comes at a very sensitive time, as Israeli airstrikes have resumed after the end of a ceasefire agreement.
Meeting with President Joseph Aoun , Prime Minister Nawaf Salam And PM Nabih Berri
Ortagus began her visit at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, where she met President Joseph Aoun. The meeting started with a private one-on-one session between the two, followed by broader discussions.
The topics covered included:
- The situation in southern Lebanon
- The Lebanese-Syrian border
- Economic and financial reforms to fight corruption
The meeting was described as constructive.
Next, Ortagus visited the Grand Serail to meet Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. Like the first meeting, it began with a private discussion between them. They discussed similar issues, especially the reforms. Ortagus showed satisfaction with the steps taken at Rafic Hariri International Airport to improve operations. The meeting lasted around an hour and had a positive atmosphere. Later, Morgan Ortagus went to Ein El Tineh to meet Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri. Berri shared a list of 18 reform laws that were already passed by the Parliament. He also spoke about upcoming reforms, especially those related to:
- Administrative reforms related to the Council for Development and Reconstruction
- Banking sector restructuring
- Banking secrecy laws
Continued Tour and Political Meetings
Ortagus did not give any press statements after her meetings. On the second day of her visit, she met with several key political figures and ministers, including:
- The Minister of Finance
- The Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Lebanese Forces Party Leader Samir Geagea
- Army Commander Rodolphe Haikal
- The new Central Bank Governor Karim Saeed
Key Statement by Ortagus
One notable part of her visit was her repeated use of the word “windows,” suggesting that “winds of escalation could enter from different windows” in the current deadlock.
At the end of her visit, she made a strong statement:
“The authorities and the people have a choice: Either they cooperate with us to disarm Hezbollah, apply the ceasefire, and fight corruption — or they continue with slow action. In that case, they should not expect any partnership with us.”
When asked about Lebanon’s refusal to form diplomatic committees, she replied:
” The President did not reject this idea when I discussed it with him.”
it’s clear that this visit carried serious messages. Whether Lebanon’s leaders will act upon them remains to be seen. Let’s wait and see what’s truly behind this visit — and what direction these messages will take the country next.
