Morgan Ortagus set to return to Beirut: US pushes Lebanon on Hezbollah disarmament and UNIFIL future

Report by Yazbek Wehbe, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi  

Lebanese officials are preparing for the upcoming visit of Morgan Ortagus, U.S. Deputy Envoy to the Middle East, amid rising diplomatic pressure from Washington tied to Hezbollah's arms and the future of U.N. peacekeeping operations in Lebanon.

According to informed political sources, Ortagus is expected to focus on three key issues: an expedited process to remove Hezbollah's weapons from areas north of the Litani River, a firm message that Israel will not withdraw from five occupied Lebanese positions without the creation of joint technical and military committees to address all 13 disputed border points, and opposition to renewing the UNIFIL mandate in its current form in August, which Israel deems ineffective. 

The U.S. reportedly supports an expanded and redefined mission for the U.N. peacekeeping force.

In response, Lebanon's Foreign Ministry is preparing a formal position paper reaffirming its commitment to maintaining UNIFIL's current mandate without modification. France is said to be backing Lebanon's stance.

Amid these developments, a notable meeting took place between President Joseph Aoun and a delegation from Hezbollah—the first since parliamentary consultations began. While not yet considered a formal political dialogue, observers view it as a sign of gradually deepening communication between the two sides through their advisers.

During the talks, President Aoun reportedly pressed Hezbollah to take further steps toward demonstrating its willingness to place all arms under state authority, especially given the growing international pressure. 

In turn, Hezbollah questioned the guarantees it would receive should it relinquish its weapons, particularly if Israel were to continue its military operations and occupation and retain Lebanese prisoners. The group reportedly would be ready for such talks if Tel Aviv implements what it required of it. 

LBCI has learned that Hezbollah considers there to be 16 Lebanese individuals either missing or detained by Israel, whose fates remain unknown. This file appears to be partially shared with the Lebanese state, while a third party—possibly a Western country—is reportedly mediating between Hezbollah and Israel.

The prisoner issue is further complicated by Israel's demand for the release of an Israeli researcher believed to be held in Iraq by an Iran-backed militia. That case is linked to the imprisonment of a member of Iran's Revolutionary Guard in Iraq, charged with killing an American citizen.

Lebanon's leadership now finds itself caught between two difficult tracks: Washington's push for swift disarmament of Hezbollah and the group's demand for confidence-building steps before entering any substantial negotiations on the matter.