As the new Deputy United States Special Envoy for the Middle East, Morgan Ortagus might be expected to continue her predecessors’ habit of diplomatic utterances, ever mindful of sensitivities, but that would be a personal departure because she specialises in making big, bold statements.
One such statement on 7 February put the new Lebanese President, Joseph Aoun, in an awkward situation. Speaking in Baabda, home to the presidential palace and just a few kilometres from Hezbollah’s traditional stronghold of Dahiyeh, Ortagus was keen to put the final nails in the militia’s coffin.
She thanked Aoun, the prime minister-designate Nawaf Salam, and those in government who were “committed to ending corruption, committed to reforms, and committed to making sure that Hezbollah is not a part of this government in any form—that it remains disarmed and militarily defeated”.
Pressing home the point, she said: “We have set clear red lines from the US that they (Hezbollah) won’t be able to terrorise the Lebanese people, and that includes by being part of the government. The end of Hezbollah’s reign of terror in Lebanon and around the world has started, and it’s over.”
Aoun met Ortagus prior to the press conference and later sought to distance himself from her comments while professing not to be concerned with her statements. Yet, making a statement is what Ortagus does. Even her choice of jewellery—a necklace and ring featuring the Star of David—seemed politically charged (raised as an evangelical Christian, she is a convert to the Jewish faith).
On one level, her remarks reflect the shifting US policy towards Lebanon after Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023. On another, they show the character of Trump’s second-term political circle—hardline religious right-wingers deeply aligned with Israel. Unapologetically blunt, they show little regard for diplomatic etiquette.
Early career
Ortagus, who reports to US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, belongs to a generation of Americans whose interest in politics and foreign policy was shaped by the 11 September 2001 attacks. These brought the Middle East to the forefront of national consciousness when previously the region had been the domain of a small political, academic, analytical, and media elite discussing it among themselves.
After 9/11, American interest in the Middle East rose significantly. At the time, Ortagus was a student in Florida, where she was born and raised. With early hopes of becoming an opera singer, she switched from music to politics. After graduating, she took on government roles related to the Middle East, including diplomatic missions in Baghdad and Riyadh.
