The former American envoy to Lebanon, Morgan Ortagus, confirmed that Lebanon is “gradually moving towards peace,” considering that the diplomatic meetings between Lebanon and Israel under American sponsorship constitute an indication of the ongoing transformations in the region.
During a speech she delivered at the “Middle East Forum” in Washington, Ortagus spoke about “Hezbollah” and Iran, considering that the party has retreated significantly, and said that its members are “hiding,” adding that Lebanon “years ago was a platform for launching missiles against Israel, but today there are public diplomatic meetings between the two sides.”
Ortagus sparked widespread controversy after she spoke about the killing of a number of senior Iranian and Hezbollah leaders, including the party’s former Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, considering that Iran had transformed from a “major regional power” to “the weakest military power in the region.”
She said that Tehran is no longer able to support its allies as before, noting that there are “reports of delayed salaries and increasing cases of desertion,” coinciding with the deterioration of the Iranian economic situation, the collapse of the currency, and high inflation.
Ortagus also considered that what she described as “military successes” against Iran and its allies were the result of the “policy of courage” adopted by the administration of US President Donald Trump, adding: “We are fighting a state that sponsors militants and we are victorious.”
Ortagus’s statements come in light of the escalation of discussion about the future of the confrontation in the region, the developments related to the US-Iranian negotiations, in addition to the continuing tension on the southern Lebanese front.
