Lebanon: PonteSud – Anita Bosman
Morgan Ortagus, the deputy to US envoy Steve Witkoff and the official overseeing the Trump administration’s Lebanon portfolio, will reportedly leave her position soon, Israeli media reported on Sunday.
Israeli Channel 14 reported the move, describing her departure as “not good news for Israel,” citing her support for efforts in pushing for the so-called disarmament of Hezbollah. The changes form part of a wider shake-up initiated by President Donald Trump to reduce the US National Security Council’s (NSC) influence and centralize foreign policy control.
Israeli journalist Tamir Morag, Channel 14’s diplomatic correspondent, elaborated on the significance of these changes in a statement on X. “Morgan Ortagus, deputy to Steve Witkoff and the official in charge of the ‘Lebanon file’ in the administration, will soon be leaving her position,” he wrote.
“This is not good news for Israel – Ortagus was very pro-Israel and worked quite assertively to promote the disarmament of Hezbollah.” Meanwhile, investigative journalist Laura Loomer also reported that Ortagus will step down and that her replacement will be announced this week, citing White House sources. “I’m told she will be cordially reassigned to another role in the Trump administration. She wanted to be the Special Envoy to Syria, but the position was instead given to Tom Barrack,” Loomer noted.
Ortagus visited Lebanon twice earlier this year. She was known for her provocative remarks against Lebanon, including a statement thanking ‘Israel’ for what she described as the “defeat of Hezbollah” during a trip to Lebanon, failing to mention the hundreds of Lebanese civilians martyred and hundreds of thousands displaced.
