A newly appointed U.S. envoy says she hopes Lebanese authorities are committed to making sure that the Hezbollah militant group is not a part of the new government in any form.

Hezbollah, a powerful Iran-backed militia, has long been the country’s dominant political force and has formed part of the government for decades.

A senior US official visiting Beirut warned on Friday against any Hezbollah presence in Lebanon's new government, saying the Iran-backed group was "defeated" in its war with Israel.Hezbollah slammed the remarks by US Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus as "blatant interference",