Issa Presents Credentials to Aoun, Vows Lebanon Support

U.S. Ambassador Michel Issa formally presented his credentials to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Monday, marking the official start of his tenure in Beirut as Washington intensifies pressure on Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah and enforce the fragile ceasefire with Israel. The Lebanese-American businessman, appointed by President Trump, reaffirmed American commitment to a “sovereign, peaceful, prosperous Lebanon” in his first diplomatic act.

Issa’s arrival comes at a critical moment. Lebanon remains fractured by last year’s devastating war with Israel, economic collapse, and the unresolved question of Hezbollah’s weapons. The ambassador, who built his fortune in finance and luxury car dealerships before entering diplomacy, has been tasked with a confrontational mandate: force Lebanon to confront the Iran-backed militia or face consequences.
During Senate confirmation, Issa declared disarming Hezbollah “not an option but a necessity,” signaling a break from decades of cautious U.S. diplomacy. His nomination faced months of Democratic delays over his lack of political experience, but Republicans pushed it through as part of a package of 108 diplomatic appointments. Trump, who calls Issa “a warrior and a friend,” expects results, not process.
The ceremony at Baabda Palace was brief but symbolic. Issa, born in Bsous before emigrating to the United States, represents a personal connection to Lebanon that previous ambassadors lacked. He renounced his Lebanese citizenship to avoid conflicts of interest and shares Trump’s passion for golf—a bond that secured his appointment.
Lebanon’s government faces impossible pressure. President Aoun must implement a year-end deadline to demobilize Hezbollah, a force more powerful than Lebanon’s conventional military, while Israeli strikes continue killing civilians. The government recorded almost daily violations, with Israeli forces occupying five border outposts in defiance of the ceasefire.
For Issa, success won’t be measured by smiles and dinners but by whether he can impose accountability on a political class that has long exploited American goodwill while tolerating Hezbollah’s state within a state. The embassy in Awkar must become “a fortress of consequence, not a salon of smiles,” as analysts who studied his appointment noted.
With the Israel-Hamas ceasefire in Gaza holding and Operation Southern Spear targeting Venezuela, the Trump administration is applying maximum pressure across multiple fronts. Issa’s mission in Lebanon represents the diplomatic component of that strategy—leverage over dialogue, consequences over patience.
The credentials presentation marks the end of months of partisan delay and the beginning of what promises to be a turbulent tenure. In a country where the only thing respected more than power is the will to use it, Issa’s business background suggests he’ll treat diplomacy as leverage, not conversation.