Hezbollah suffered another seismic blow with the ousting of Bashar al-Assad in Syria on December 8, which it had long used as its weapons lifeline from Iran.
After more than two years of political stalemate, the weakening of Hezbollah allowed former army chief Aoun, widely believed to be Washington’s preferred candidate, to be elected president and Salam approved as his premier.
The US embassy in Beirut welcomed the government formation, adding that “the Lebanese people deserve a government that will rebuild Lebanese state institutions, fight corruption, and implement needed reforms”.
A day earlier, US Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus warned against any Hezbollah presence in Lebanon’s new government after meeting Aoun in Beirut, saying the group was “defeated” in its war with Israel.
European Union ambassador to Lebanon Sandra De Waele welcomed Salam’s “commitment that it (the government) will have a reformist agenda,” which she said is “necessary for Lebanon’s future”.
