US Envoy Morgan Ortagus Meets Lebanese Leaders Amid Escalating ’Israeli’ Strikes

By Staff, Agencies

US Deputy Envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus held meetings with senior Lebanese officials in Beirut on Tuesday, as part of a regional tour that included talks with "Israeli" officials a day earlier.

Ortagus met first with President Joseph Aoun at the presidential palace, where discussions focused on efforts to restore calm and stability in southern Lebanon.

According to a presidential statement, Aoun stressed the need to reactivate the UN “Mechanism” for monitoring the cessation of hostilities and to ensure the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, allowing the Lebanese army to deploy along the southern border.

The president also underscored the urgency of enabling displaced southern residents to return home and rebuild their communities, especially with winter approaching.

In a separate meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Ortagus discussed ongoing "Israeli" violations and the role of the five-member ceasefire monitoring committee, emphasizing the need to restore its operational effectiveness.

The US envoy was later scheduled to meet Prime Minister Nawaf Salam at the Grand Serail in central Beirut.

Ortagus’s visit comes amid intensified "Israeli" attacks across southern Lebanon that have martyred dozens of civilians since early October.