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President Donald Trump met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the White House on Tuesday (July 21) to discuss U.S. support for Lebanon amidst ongoing tensions in the Middle East. The meeting took place in the Oval Office, where Trump expressed his intention to assist Lebanon, stating, "It's been a very badly treated place and country and we're going to have it properly treated and treated with the respect it deserves."
The meeting comes as Lebanon seeks U.S. backing to stabilize its southern region and advance a U.S.-backed framework agreement with Israel. This agreement aims to end decades of hostilities between Lebanon and Israel, as reported by ABC News. President Aoun emphasized the importance of U.S. political and military support for the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to replace Hezbollah's influence in the south.
During the meeting, Aoun thanked Trump for helping broker the framework agreement with Israel, calling it a historic step toward ending the conflict. Trump also mentioned the possibility of communicating directly with Hezbollah if it would aid in moving the peace effort forward, as noted by The Associated Press.
The visit marked the first by a Lebanese president to the White House since 2009. Aoun's discussions with Trump also included the ongoing threat from Iran-backed Hezbollah and the potential for Israeli troop withdrawal from southern Lebanon. The meeting concluded Aoun's four-day visit to Washington, during which he also met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio to reaffirm U.S. support for the framework agreement.