BEIRUT: A senior US official visiting Beirut on Friday opposed any Hezbollah presence in Lebanon`s new government.

Hezbollah slammed the remarks by deputy special envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus as `blatant interference`.

Lebanon`s prime ministerdesignate is struggling to form a government amid political pressure from the Iran-backed group.

`We have set clear red lines in the United States that they (Hezbollah) won`t be able to terrorise the Lebanese people, and that includes by being a part of the government, Ortagus said after meeting President Joseph Aoun.

More than a year of hostilities severely weakened Hezbollah, allowing Lebanon`s divided parliament to elect Aoun seen as Washington`s preferred candidate as president and approve Nawaf Salam as premier after more than two years of politicaldeadlock.

Ortagus declared `the end of Hezbollah`s reign of terror in Lebanon and around the world`. Aoun later distanced himself from her comments, with his office saying some of what she said `represents her own point of view and is not the concern of the presidency`.

The head of Hezbollah`s parliamentary bloc, Mohammed Raad, said Ortagus`s remarks were `full of malice and irresponsibility` and attacked a component of `Lebanese political life`, branding them `blatant interference in Lebanon`s sovereignty`.

`End corruption` Ortagus was in Lebanon for her first official visit abroad after being appointed by President Trump last week.

Hezbollah has played a major role in the country`s politics for decades, flexing its power in government institutions while its fighters battled Israel.

-AFP