Reuters: US pushes Lebanon to exclude Hezbollah allies from naming finance minister

The United States is exerting pressure on Lebanese officials to prevent Hezbollah and its allies from nominating the country’s next finance minister, a report by Reuters said.

According to sources familiar with the matter, Washington is seeking to curb Hezbollah's influence over Lebanon's government as Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam works to form a new cabinet.

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The US intervention comes amid a shifting power dynamic in Lebanon and the broader Middle East, as Hezbollah, which suffered heavy losses last year, faces a diminished position.

Since 2014, the Amal Movement, Hezbollah’s Shiite ally, has selected all of Lebanon’s finance ministers.

As Nawaf Salam forms his cabinet, US officials have urged that Hezbollah be excluded.

This message was communicated to Salam and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun by US figures, including Lebanese-American businessman Massad Boulos, an adviser on Middle Eastern affairs.

According to Reuters, while US Republican congressmen have previously advocated for Hezbollah’s exclusion, the direct involvement of Boulos and other officials had not been publicly reported until now.

The White House and State Department have not yet commented on the US position regarding Hezbollah’s role in Lebanon’s cabinet.