Trump, Aoun push peace roadmap for Lebanon
Washington, July 21
US President Donald Trump and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun presented a united front at the White House on Tuesday, pledging to advance a US-backed framework aimed at ending decades of hostility between Lebanon and Israel while strengthening the Lebanese Armed Forces and reducing the influence of Hezbollah.
Calling Lebanon "a very mistreated country for a long period of time," Trump said the United States intended to play a central role in its recovery.
"We're going to help it a lot," Trump said. "We've already met a couple of times, and we've had some good meetings, and we are going to solve a lot of problems. We've already solved some of them for Lebanon."
Referring to Hezbollah, Trump added: "There's a Hezbollah problem, but we've done some things that I think the world will take notice."
Aoun described the recently signed US-sponsored framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel as a turning point for the region.
"I would like to thank President Trump, really, and his team for the historic visit and for the historic achievement that we did together by signing the framework with the ultimate objective of ending the state of hostility between Lebanon and Israel forever," he said.
"I think, Mr. President, this will be your legacy."
The Lebanese President said both leaders shared a common vision for regional peace.
"It's about time for Lebanon and for the whole region to be stable and secure. I know your vision is peace; your vision is stability and I think my vision coincides with your vision."
The leaders also focused on strengthening Lebanon's state institutions, particularly the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), which Washington sees as a counterweight to Hezbollah.
Aoun appealed for continued American backing.
"I need two things from you: political support and supporting of the LAF," he said.
"The LAF is the most trusted institution in the country... Without the LAF, everything will collapse."
Trump indicated Washington was preparing additional assistance.
"We have some very concrete plans already in store for that, with others going in and helping. But they're also becoming much more self-sufficient."
On Israel's military presence in southern Lebanon, Trump said Israeli forces were "in the process of redeploying" and promised to examine reports that Israeli troops had opened fire near Lebanese army positions.
"I just heard about that before this conference... and we'll be looking at that."
Asked about expanding the Abraham Accords, Trump said Lebanon could eventually become part of the broader regional normalisation effort.
"The Abraham Accords have been, I think, a tremendous success," he said. "I think you're going to see a lot of countries joining pretty soon... I think Lebanon has a very important place."
Trump also suggested direct commercial flights between the United States and Lebanon could resume.
"I could see that happening, absolutely."
The discussions extended beyond Lebanon to wider regional security challenges.
On Iran, Trump claimed Tehran wanted negotiations despite continuing tensions.
"They want to desperately meet," he said, while warning that the United States would strike "any site where they're even thinking about nuclear."
Asked about the possibility of renewed Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, Trump said: "If something like that happens, we'll just have to take care of business."
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Iran had been given opportunities to negotiate but warned that attacks on commercial shipping would draw a forceful response.
"If they're going to shoot at commercial shipping, then we're going to hit them... ten times harder."
The White House meeting centred on implementing the US-sponsored framework agreement announced in June, which seeks to expand Lebanese army control in southern Lebanon, facilitate phased Israeli redeployment and reduce Hezbollah's military presence.
Ahead of the talks, US officials said the administration remained committed to supporting Lebanon's economic recovery and a more stable future.
— IANS
Reader Comments
As someone who follows Middle East politics, I'm skeptical. Trump calling Lebanon "mistreated" and then saying the US will help "a lot" - but his administration has cut funding to UNRWA and other aid agencies. Also, strengthening the Lebanese Armed Forces to counter Hezbollah sounds good on paper, but the LAF is weak and deeply divided along sectarian lines. This feels like another American grand promise that might not deliver. 😕
From India's standpoint, a stable Lebanon is crucial. We have centuries of trade ties with the region, and our energy security depends on the Gulf staying calm. If Trump-Aoun framework works and reduces Hezbollah's grip, that's good. But the real test is: can the LAF actually take control of southern Lebanon? And will Israel truly redeploy? Too many moving parts. I'm cautiously optimistic, but yaar, West Asia is a tough nut to crack. 🤔
Oh wow, Trump saying "we've done some things" about Hezbollah without specifics. Classic. And then threatening to hit Iran "ten times harder" if they attack shipping. This approach of promises mixed with threats is exhausting. I hope the Lebanese people actually get some peace out of this - they've suffered so much. But I've learned not to trust US-led peace plans in the Middle East. Let's see if Aoun can actually deliver on his end without being destabilized by internal rivals.
Bharat's foreign policy has always stressed non-interference, but even we benefit from regional stability. The Abraham Accords expansion could change West Asian dynamics dramatically - imagine Lebanon normalizing with Israel while Hezbollah still exists? That would be a real test. Trump's talk of direct flights to Lebanon sounds promising for business, but the humanitarian side - will displaced Lebanese get to return home? That's the real question. Stability without justice is just a ceasefire
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