Lebanese President Aoun Heads to US for Trump Summit on Ceasefire and Stability

Lebanese President departs for US to hold summit-level talks with Trump over regional tensions

Beirut, July 18

The Lebanese Presidency, in a post on X, informed that President Aoun will hold a series of meetings and consultations with the American officials, regarding the "situation in Lebanon," means to "consolidate the ceasefire", and to "restore security and stability in the region."

One of the key themes of discussions will be the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Lebanese territory and the extension of Lebanese authority across all areas.

"President General Joseph Aoun and First Lady Mrs. Naamt Aoun left Beirut this morning for Washington, in response to an invitation from U.S. President Donald Trump," the post read.

"A Lebanese-American summit will be held at the White House, and President Aoun will conduct meetings and consultations with a number of American officials addressing the situation in Lebanon and the possible means to consolidate the ceasefire, restore security and stability to Lebanon in general and the south in particular, the withdrawal of Israel from the Lebanese areas it occupies, and the extension of the state's authority over all areas," it added.

The visit follows a 17-minute phone call on July 5 between the two leaders that Aoun described as "good".

This comes after the signing of a Washington-brokered framework pact between Beirut and Tel Aviv last month, intended to establish long-term stability and ensure the demilitarisation of the Iran-backed Shiite militia.

Earlier this month, in an interview with Lebanese daily An-Nahar, Aoun acknowledged that the framework agreement is "not ideal", but that the Lebanese government's acceptance of it reflects the facts on the ground and the current balance of power in the south, which favours Israel, as cited by Al Jazeera,

"This is a framework, not an agreement with Israel... No one should bet on the Lebanese army's division, and I will not let my people die," Aoun said, adding that the deal would not stop Lebanon from pursuing its rights and recovering occupied land.

Aoun said Lebanese officials had asked US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to ensure the hill remains under Lebanese army control, and that Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed to the proposal.

Subsequently, US President Donald Trump had also urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to initiate the withdrawal of Israeli military units from southern Syria and Lebanon during a telephone conversation in the first week of July, according to a report by Axios, which cited American and Israeli officials.

The report indicated that Trump cautioned that Israel's sustained military footprint within Syrian territory could trigger heightened regional volatility.

"They don't want you there. You should redeploy," Trump told Netanyahu, according to a US official cited by Axios. The official further noted that Trump delivered "the same" message concerning Israel's strategic military positioning in southern Lebanon.

The reported discussion occurred a day after Trump met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on the fringes of the NATO summit in Turkey.

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly asserted that Israeli defence personnel would stay positioned in Lebanon "as long as the need requires."

— ANI