Lebanon's political tug-of-war: Hezbollah's role under US scrutiny

LBCI

31-01-2025

Report by Lara El Hachem, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi
After 17 days since Nawaf Salam's designation as Prime Minister, the delay in forming a new government has become more apparent. The Prime Minister-designate remains committed to his key condition: excluding political parties from ministerial positions.
While open to consulting political forces, he insists on retaining final decision-making authority. The main internal issue remains the Finance Ministry and other portfolios linked to the Amal-Hezbollah duo.
However, these domestic challenges appear minor compared to external pressures.
According to Reuters, five sources confirmed that Washington is pushing senior Lebanese officials to prevent Hezbollah or its allies from nominating the next finance minister, aiming to curb the influence of the Iran-backed group.
The report stated that U.S. officials conveyed this message to President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Salam, emphasizing that Hezbollah should have no role in the next government.
According to Reuters, three sources affirmed that Massad Boulos, an adviser on Middle Eastern affairs appointed by former U.S. President Donald Trump, reportedly delivered this message to Lebanon.
Yet, this American demand to sideline Hezbollah and its allies entirely does not seem to align with comments made by Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty following his discussions with President Aoun.
In both Baabda and Kraytem, there is a growing realization that the momentum surrounding the new presidency may wane if the international community perceives no meaningful political or reformist shift in Lebanon. This is particularly critical as one of the government's core mandates is to implement U.N. Resolution 1701 fully.
Therefore, the government formation is beyond the usual Lebanese quotas— it is closer to a fateful project.