2026-07-21T16:37:18+00:00
US President Donald
Trump pledged to help resolve Lebanon’s challenges and expand assistance and broad
support for Lebanon during a White House meeting with Lebanese President Joseph
Aoun, media outlets reported on Tuesday
Trump said the two
sides held productive talks and that the United States would solve “a lot of
the problems” facing Lebanon, adding that some issues had already been
resolved
Describing Aoun as a figurewho could become one of the most important
leaders in the Middle East, he noted that Lebanon had been mistreated for a
long time, adding, “We’re going to have it properly treated with the respect
that it deserves.”
Asked whether he would
engage with Hezbollah, Trump replied, “If the Lebanese president wants me
to talk to the group, I will do it.”
The US president also
said Washington would hold talks on expanding the Lebanese Army’s control over
villages vacated by Hezbollah and address issues related to the pilot phase of
the proposed pilotzone in southern Lebanon. Trump added that Syrian transitional
President Ahmad Al-Sharaa wants to play a role regarding Hezbollah, saying he
believes such efforts would be effective
For his part, Aoun
said the ultimate goal is to “end the state of hostility between Lebanon and
Israel forever.” He thanked Trump for the “historic achievements” the
both sides had accomplished together and said the time had come to realize
Trump’s vision of bringing peace to the region
He praised the
Lebanese Army, indicating that he had asked Trump to provide political support
for Lebanon
وصول رئيس الجمهورية العماد جوزاف عون إلى البيت الأبيض للقاء الرئيس الأميركي دونالد ترامب pic.twitter.com/7xmcuPUXZt
— Lebanese Presidency (@LBpresidency) July 21, 2026
Earlier this week,
Aoun and Rubio discussed implementing the trilateral framework agreement
between the United States, Lebanon, and Israel during talks in Washington.
Rubio reaffirmed US support for the deal, praised Beirut’s efforts to restore
state sovereignty and disarm Hezbollah
Read more: South Lebanon framework: What we know so far
