Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun meets Rubio ahead of Trump talks

What the report says

Al Jazeera, citing its staff and Reuters, reports that Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has opened a high-level Washington visit by meeting US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, ahead of expected talks with President Donald Trump on Tuesday. The visit comes as Beirut seeks US support to implement a June 26 US-backed agreement with Israel aimed at ending renewed Israel-Hezbollah fighting and securing an Israeli pullback from southern Lebanon.

According to the Lebanese presidency, Aoun told Rubio on Sunday that Lebanon and the United States should work together to put the agreement into effect, beginning with an initial withdrawal of Israeli troops. The US State Department said Rubio commended Lebanon’s efforts to restore state sovereignty, disarm Hezbollah and move toward peace. Aoun and First Lady Naima Aoun arrived at Joint Base Andrews on Saturday; the trip is described as the first Washington visit by a Lebanese president since Michel Sleiman met Barack Obama in 2009.

A Lebanese official told Reuters that Aoun plans to present Trump with a written proposal on dismantling Hezbollah’s arsenal while securing Israel’s withdrawal under the US-brokered framework. Before leaving Beirut, Aoun said he would ask Trump to pressure Israel to carry out the agreement, which also envisions Hezbollah’s disarmament and a gradual path toward more stable relations.

The diplomatic push follows US-mediated Lebanese-Israeli discussions in Rome and comes amid deep obstacles. Hezbollah opposes direct negotiations with Israel and rejects disarmament, while Israel has linked a full withdrawal to Hezbollah being disarmed and demilitarised. Al Jazeera notes Aoun, a former army commander elected after a long presidential vacancy, has made restoring the state’s control over weapons a central pledge.