US Ambassador to Beirut: Iran Sees Lebanon as a ‘Satellite State’ to Implement its Agenda

US Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea speaks after meeting with Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun at the presidential palace in Baabda, Lebanon March 25, 2021. (Dalati & Nohra)
US Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea speaks after meeting with Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun at the presidential palace in Baabda, Lebanon March 25, 2021. (Dalati & Nohra)
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US Ambassador to Beirut: Iran Sees Lebanon as a ‘Satellite State’ to Implement its Agenda

US Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea speaks after meeting with Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun at the presidential palace in Baabda, Lebanon March 25, 2021. (Dalati & Nohra)
US Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea speaks after meeting with Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun at the presidential palace in Baabda, Lebanon March 25, 2021. (Dalati & Nohra)

US Ambassador to Beirut Dorothy Shea said that the United States “has been and will continue to be on the side of the Lebanese people” as politicians continue to squabble over the formation of a new government.

In remarks to the local Al-Jadeed channel, Shea noted that the mission government, which was proposed in the initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron, focuses on addressing the repercussions of the Aug. 4 port explosion, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the implementation of some of the major reforms necessary to achieve economic stability and to resume negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The ambassador emphasized that a capable government “should start preparing for the elections scheduled to take place in less than a year.”

The United States views any attempt to disrupt the government as opposing the kind of government Lebanon needs during this crisis, according to Shea.

Speaking about the United States’ dealings with the Lebanese Army and its commander, General Joseph Aoun, the US ambassador said she regarded “Army Commander Joseph Aoun in his current position, and I do not have any opinion on whether he could be a suitable candidate for the presidency.”

She continued: “He is a good partner for us in his current position as commander… We have invested USD 2.2 billion in the Lebanese army over the past ten years, and I think the investment we have made is important and we are proud of.”

Touching on the crippling economic crisis, Shea emphasized her country’s commitment to help the Lebanese Army overcome the situation.

She stressed that Washington “will double the aid provided to the Lebanese army this year by USD 15 million through the Foreign Military Funding Program… Therefore, we will invest USD 120 million with our partners in equipment and training.”

Asked about the Iranian delivery of fuel shipments to Beirut amid a severe shortage in the country, Shea told Al Jadeed that that was not a viable solution to the problem.

“If you get rid of the rampant corruption in the energy and electricity sectors, half of the problem will be solved immediately,” she noted, adding: “What Iran is looking for is some kind of satellite state that they can exploit to pursue their agenda.”



US Adding Second Aircraft Carrier in Middle East

A photo released by the US military shows an F/A-18 Super Hornet warplane taking off from the Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier on March 16, 2025 - AFP
A photo released by the US military shows an F/A-18 Super Hornet warplane taking off from the Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier on March 16, 2025 - AFP
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US Adding Second Aircraft Carrier in Middle East

A photo released by the US military shows an F/A-18 Super Hornet warplane taking off from the Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier on March 16, 2025 - AFP
A photo released by the US military shows an F/A-18 Super Hornet warplane taking off from the Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier on March 16, 2025 - AFP

The United States is increasing the number of aircraft carriers deployed in the Middle East to two, keeping one that is already there and sending another from the Indo-Pacific, the Pentagon said Tuesday.

The announcement comes as US forces hammer Yemen's Houthis with near-daily airstrikes in a campaign aimed at ending the threat they pose to civilian shipping and military vessels in the region.

The Carl Vinson will join the Harry S. Truman in the Middle East "to continue promoting regional stability, deter aggression, and protect the free flow of commerce in the region," Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement.

"To complement the CENTCOM maritime posture, the secretary also ordered the deployment of additional squadrons and other air assets that will further reinforce our defensive air-support capabilities," Parnell said, referring to the US military command responsible for the region, AFP reported.

"The United States and its partners remain committed to regional security in the CENTCOM (area of responsibility) and are prepared to respond to any state or non-state actor seeking to broaden or escalate conflict in the region," he added.

The Houthis began targeting shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden after the start of the Gaza war in 2023, claiming solidarity with Palestinians.

Houthi attacks have prevented ships from passing through the Suez Canal, a vital route that normally carries about 12 percent of world shipping traffic. Ongoing attacks are forcing many companies into a costly detour around the tip of southern Africa.

- 'Real pain' -

A day before the carrier announcement, US President Donald Trump vowed that strikes on Yemen's Houthis would continue until they are no longer a threat to shipping.

"The choice for the Houthis is clear: Stop shooting at US ships, and we will stop shooting at you. Otherwise, we have only just begun, and the real pain is yet to come, for both the Houthis and their sponsors in Iran," Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

Trump added that the Houthis had been "decimated" by "relentless" strikes since March 15, saying that US forces "hit them every day and night -- Harder and harder."

On Wednesday, the Houthis accused the United States of killing four people in fresh airstrikes on Hodeidah province.

The US president has also ramped up rhetoric towards Tehran, threatening that "there will be bombing" if Iran does not reach a deal on its nuclear program.

Satellite images seen by AFP showed that Washington had between March 26 and Wednesday doubled the number of B-2 bombers at a US-UK military base in the Indian Ocean, from three to six.

The photos from imaging company Planet Labs PBC also showed the presence of six Stratotanker in-flight refuelling aircraft at the Diego Garcia base, within range of Iran.

Trump's threats come as his administration battles a scandal over the accidental leak of a secret group chat by senior security officials on the Yemen strikes.

The Atlantic magazine revealed last week that its editor -- a well-known US journalist -- was inadvertently included in a chat on the commercially available Signal app where top officials were discussing the strikes.

The officials, including Trump's National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, discussed details of airstrike timings and intelligence -- unaware that the highly sensitive information was being simultaneously read by a member of the media.