Lebanon’s Aoun to meet Trump to press for Israeli withdrawal

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday, marking the first face-to-face encounter between the leaders of the two countries in nearly 20 years, as Beirut presses Washington to help secure Israel's withdrawal from occupied southern Lebanon.

A Historic Visit

Aoun, who arrived in Washington over the weekend at Trump's invitation, held talks with Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the State Department on Sunday before meeting members of Congress on Monday. The visit represents the first time a Lebanese head of state has met a U.S. president at the White House since 2009, according to Reuters.english.alarabiya+2

Rubio "commended the courage of the government of Lebanon, under President Aoun's leadership, for their determined effort to reclaim Lebanon's sovereignty, disarm Hezbollah and dismantle its terrorist infrastructure, and move towards peace," the State Department said following Sunday's meeting.english.aawsat+1

The Framework Agreement

At the center of Tuesday's discussions is the trilateral framework agreement signed by the United States, Israel, and Lebanon on June 26 in Washington. That deal, reached after four days of U.S.-mediated negotiations, commits both countries to ending their state of war and establishes a phased process under which the Lebanese Armed Forces would assume security control across the south while Israel gradually redeploys from Lebanese territory.cnn+1

Lebanon committed under the agreement to restoring the state's monopoly over the use of force by disarming all non-state armed groups, including Hezbollah, and dismantling their infrastructure. In return, Israel agreed to withdraw from areas it occupies in southern Lebanon.studies.aljazeera+1

Following talks in Rome last week, the two sides agreed on guidelines for implementing "pilot zones" in southern Lebanon where Israeli troops would begin withdrawing and the Lebanese army would take over security, according to U.S. officials.aljazeera+1

What Aoun Wants

Aoun, a former commander of Lebanon's U.S.-backed army before being elected president in January 2025, is seeking American pressure on Israel to follow through on withdrawal commitments and requesting support for the Lebanese military as it moves into areas long dominated by Hezbollah. According to Al Jazeera, Aoun aims to discuss ways to strengthen the ceasefire and "restore security and stability" across the country.english.aawsat+2

The visit comes as implementation of the framework agreement faces questions about pace and enforcement, with Israel retaining forces in parts of southern Lebanon more than three weeks after the deal was signed.studies.aljazeera