Morgan Ortagus

Rocket Strikes Signal Reaction to Iran's Exclusion from Regional Settlements

Two unsettling and deliberate incidents occurred ahead of four critical milestones for Lebanon. On March 22, shortly before the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron’s special envoy to Lebanon, Jean-Yves Le Drian, rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israel. Hezbollah denied any involvement, but Israel responded with heavy strikes on the ...

Morgan Ortagus: Hezbollah Must Be Disarmed, Lebanon Needs to Pursue Diplomatic Solutions with Israel

In an interview with Al-Hadath today, U.S. Deputy Special Envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus addressed the ongoing tensions between Lebanon and Israel, emphasizing the need for diplomatic negotiations and economic reforms in Lebanon. Ortagus reiterated that the Lebanese government is responsible for disarming Hezbollah, stating that no ...

The Many Interpretations of Morgan Ortagus’ Missile

Morgan Ortagus landed in Lebanon like a missile. One must set aside the sexist remarks that were little more than admiration of her beauty, and the crude jokes along the lines of “do as you please, beautiful”—the kind of comments we thought belonged to a bygone era, only to realize that they remain deeply ingrained in the Lebanese ...

The Wand and the Magic Ring

The ring on the finger of the new U.S. deputy envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus  was given more attention than it deserved, but its symbolism was far greater than what Lebanon could endure. Opponents did not differentiate between it being a religious symbol—perhaps because Judaism in Lebanon is often associated with Zionism, which led ...

Meeting Between President J. Aoun and Ortagus: Striving for Lasting Stability and a Hezbollah-Free Lebanon

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun held a meeting in Baabda with Morgan Ortagus, the US Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East, to discuss key issues of security, stability and cooperation between Lebanon and the United States. President Aoun stressed that stability in southern Lebanon is closely tied to the completion of Israel's withdrawal ...

Lebanon: A State of Insecurity? Where Exactly?

The ostrich policy: look away and pretend that security is under control. For the past few weeks, in a scattered yet synchronized manner, acts of delinquency have been multiplying in certain neighborhoods of Beirut. Of course, there’s no proof that these incidents are coordinated. However, in Lebanon, there’s always a “but!” The profile ...

Who Is Morgan Ortagus, Trump's Envoy Expected in Beirut on Thursday?

On January 3, 2025, US President Donald Trump appointed Morgan Ortagus as Deputy Special Envoy for Peace in the Middle East. Ortagus, who served as spokesperson for the US State Department during Trump’s first term (2017-2021), will be part of the team headed by Steve Witkoff, a close friend and trusted confidant of Trump. Morgan Ortagus, ...