Lebanon Defies Trump: Hezbollah and Allies Join New Government

The Trump Administration’s attempt to dictate terms on the new Lebanese government’s cabinet appears to have failed spectacularly. The new Lebanese cabinet has been announced, and includes multiple members from both Hezbollah and the Shi’ite Amal Movement.

The administration has been browbeating Lebanon for weeks on this issue, insisting no Shi’ite could be allowed to hold the Finance Ministry, and calling any Hezbollah representation in the government a “red line” as recently as yesterday.

The US had been suggesting Saudi Arabia’s foreign aid for Lebanon’s post war reconstruction was contingent on them not naming a Shi’ite finance minister, though the Saudis don’t appear to have set out this precondition.