American envoy Morgan Ortagus praised Lebanese President Joseph Aoun for his willingness to take “bold and necessary decisions” to put Lebanon on a path toward recovery, including a recent stance on disarming Hezbollah following a truce reached with Israel last November.

Speaking during a meeting with the Lebanese ambassador to Washington, held on the sidelines of the Lebanese delegation’s participation in the IMF and World Bank spring meetings, Ortagus expressed confidence in Aoun’s leadership.

“I saw a leader determined to make the bold and necessary decisions to put Lebanon on the path to recovery,” she said. “Whether we live here or in Lebanon, our goal is the same. It’s not about returning to 1975 or the so-called ‘glory days,’ but about building a future brighter and more prosperous than any period in Lebanon’s history, because I believe in Lebanon’s potential.”

Ortagus emphasized that Lebanon is now at the doorstep of what she described as “a new phase—one that is better than what came before.” She stressed the importance of choosing a forward-looking approach.

“If you decide to pursue this path, if you make the difficult decisions I always mention in the media, I promise you that President Donald Trump, his administration, and the United States will support you every step of the way,” she said. “But we cannot go back. We cannot repeat the mistakes of the past. The only way forward is to empower the state, push through reforms, and breathe new life into the nation—not just by restoring past glories, but by entering a new and improved era.”