Washington urgently engages Israel as Hezbollah rapidly re-arms with Iranian cash, threatening regional stability and Israeli security.
US President Donald Trump’s envoy to Lebanon, Morgan Ortagus, arrived in Israel on Tuesday for a high-level diplomatic mission amid growing concern over Hezbollah’s escalating violations along the northern border. Her visit began with a series of strategic meetings with some of Israel’s most senior political and security officials, underscoring the gravity of the situation.
Ortagus met with the Prime Minister, the Defense Minister, and the head of Military Intelligence, Major General Shlomi Binder, as Washington intensifies efforts to prevent renewed conflict and uphold the existing ceasefire framework. Israeli briefers presented her with fresh intelligence showing that Hezbollah is aggressively rebuilding its terror infrastructure, openly defying all agreements meant to restrict its operations.
According to the updated intelligence dossier shared with her, Hezbollah continues to:
- Reinforce military positions in prohibited zones
- Replenish weapons stockpiles at high speed
- Expand surveillance and attack capabilities
- Exploit Lebanon’s army’s unwillingness—or inability—to enforce international agreements
Before her meetings with Israel’s top leadership, Ortagus also met with Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, who delivered a blunt assessment of the growing threat.
Sa’ar warned:
“Hezbollah is arming itself at a much faster pace than it is disarming. The responsibility lies with the Lebanese government.”
He further revealed that the Iran-to-Hezbollah money pipeline is now flowing through Turkey, allowing Iranian terror financing to bypass scrutiny. “This must be stopped,” he stressed.
Ortagus’ visit reflects the urgency felt in both Washington and Jerusalem: Hezbollah’s rapid militarization—funded by Iran and shielded by Lebanon’s political paralysis—risks triggering a wider confrontation that neither Israel nor the United States can ignore.
The message from Israel was unmistakable:
Hezbollah’s violations are pushing the region toward a dangerous tipping point, and only decisive international action can curb Iran’s terror proxy before it sparks a new war.
