Hezbollah supporters block a road to the international airport during a protest in Beirut, Lebanon, Feb. 7, 2025. Photo: Bilal Hussein/AP.
By Robert Inlakesh – Feb 14, 2025
The Trump administration has been actively working to push Hezbollah out of Lebanese politicsāa move that, by extension, seeks to marginalize the countryās Shia Muslim population. Such an effort risks not only dismantling what remains of Lebanonās fragile democracy but also triggering a civil war.
On February 13, Lebanese authoritiesĀ blockedĀ Iranian civilian airliners carrying returning Lebanese religious tourists from landing at Beirut International Airport. The decision left many Lebanese stranded in Iran, unable to afford alternative flights home. In response, protests erupted across Beirut, with demonstrators blocking major roads and triggering a violent crackdown by the Lebanese military.
This incident did not occur in isolation. The U.S. had previously pressured Lebanon to restrict Iranian air traffic, and the ban came just one day after Israeli military spokesperson Avichay AdraeeĀ accusedĀ Iran of using civilian flights to transfer cash to Hezbollah. Israel provided no evidence for the claim, yet Beirut appeared to act in accordance with Tel Avivās demandsādespite the fact that the two countries remain in a formal state of war.
During her first visit to Lebanon as U.S. President Donald Trumpās deputy Middle East envoy, Morgan Ortagus openly praised Israelās military campaign against the country, showing little regard for the devastating toll it had taken. Between September and November 2024, Israeli airstrikes and ground assaultsĀ killedĀ approximately 2,720 people, yet Ortagus made no mention of the civilian casualties. Instead, she appeared at a press conference in BeirutĀ wearingĀ a prominent Star of David ringāan unmistakable sign of her support for Israelās war, even as she stood on Lebanese soil.
āWe are grateful to our ally Israel for defeating Hezbollah,ā OrtagusĀ declared. She went on to thank āLebanese President Aoun, Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam, and everyone in this government who is committed to an end of corruption, who is committed to reforms, and who is committed to making sure that Hezbollah is not a part of the new government in any form.ā
Defying the Trump administrationās āred lineā on Hezbollahās inclusion in Lebanonās new government, the countryās 24-member cabinet wasĀ formedĀ with five Hezbollah-aligned ministers. However, the Shia duoāHezbollah and its ally, the Amal Movementāfell short of securing the one-third share needed to veto key legislation.
Trumpās State Department has made little effort to conceal its interference in Lebanese politics, openly exerting pressure on the new government. While much of the discussion surrounding Ortagusās visit focused on the ring she wore during her press conference, there isĀ no ambiguityĀ about her Zionist convictions. A longtime vocal supporter of Israel, Ortagus formallyĀ converted to JudaismĀ before marrying her husband, businessman Jonathan Weinberger, at Washingtonās conservative Adas Israel Congregation.
Although rarely acknowledged in Western media, the Hezbollah-allied bloc, democratically elected in 2022, remains the largest political force in Lebanon. In the most recent parliamentary elections, the blocĀ securedĀ 58 of the 128 seats, while the U.S.- and Israeli-backed anti-Hezbollah coalition won just 47.
However, the 2022 election was widely seen as a setback for Hezbollah and its allies, as they lost the parliamentary majority they had held since 2018. Their previous coalition, which controlled 71 seats, suffered losses primarily due to a decline in support for the Christian Free Patriotic Movement, one of Hezbollahās key partners.
Lebanonās political system is shaped by deep sectarian divisions, a legacy of its colonial past. The country operates under aĀ confessionalistĀ model, first imposed by the French, which allocates political positions along religious lines: the president must be a Maronite Christian, the prime minister a Sunni Muslim, and the speaker of parliament a Shia Muslim.
Israeli Airstrike Kills Several in South Lebanon as āCeasefireā Nears End Date
The U.S. currently backs the Lebanese Forces, a party led by Samir Geagea, a convicted murderer and former warlord with ties to fascist militias. Historically, the Lebanese Forces have enjoyed support from Israel and, until recently, Saudi Arabia. Despite its violent past, the party remains Washingtonās preferred political vehicle in Lebanon, positioned as a counterweight to Hezbollah and its allies. Meanwhile, the U.S. is constructing what will be its largest embassy in the region, an expansive complex in Beirut that resembles a military and intelligence hub more than a traditional diplomatic mission.
Another firestorm that has been slowly brewing in Lebanon is over the United Statesā continued support for Israelās occupation of the countryās south. Despite the terms of the initial 60-day ceasefire agreement, which took effect on November 27, 2024, Israel hasĀ violatedĀ it daily and unilaterally pushed back its departure from Lebanese territory to February 18āan extension that Lebanonās government has begrudgingly accepted.
Throughout the war between Israel and Lebanon, the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) remained conspicuously absent from the battlefield, even as Israeli airstrikes repeatedly targeted their positions, killing Lebanese soldiers. Despite these attacks, the military did not retaliate once.
Following the ceasefire agreement, the LAF received $117 million in U.S. State Department fundingāaid explicitlyĀ conditionedĀ on efforts to remove Hezbollah from southern Lebanon.
Lebanonās Shia Muslims are an integral part of the countryās social and political fabric, yet U.S. policy appears singularly focused on undermining them. With Israelās war crimes still fresh in Lebanese memory and the assassination of Hezbollah Secretary General Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah further inflaming tensions, emotions remain high, and the specter of another major war looms large.
Robert Inlakesh is a political analyst, journalist and documentary filmmaker currently based in London, UK. He has reported from and lived in the occupied Palestinian territories and hosts the show āPalestine Filesā. Director of āSteal of the Century: Trumpās Palestine-Israel Catastropheā. Follow him on Twitter @falasteen47.
