US draws ‘red line’ over including Hezbollah in Lebanese government, envoy says

US envoy for Middle East peace Morgan Ortagus (Bilal Hussein/AP)

A newly appointed US envoy has said she hoped Lebanese authorities are committed to making sure that the Hezbollah militant group is not a part of the new government in any form.

Morgan Ortagus, a former State Department spokeswoman and US Navy Reserves officer, recently assumed the role of deputy special envoy for Middle East peace in Donald Trump’s administration, replacing Amos Hochstein, who helped broker the ceasefire that ended the 14-month war between Israel and Hezbollah.