Trump hosts Lebanon's Aoun, pledges 'concrete plans' toward Israeli withdrawal

WASHINGTON/BEIRUT — Lebanese President Joseph Aoun capped a four-day visit to Washington in a meeting with US President Donald Trump, the first such White House summit since 2009. Just hours before the meeting, the Lebanese military began deploying in a pilot zone in south Lebanon as Israel withdrew from the town in accordance with a US-brokered security framework.

In remarks before the meeting, Trump committed to helping Lebanon recover from the ongoing setbacks. “It’s been a very badly treated place and country, and we’re going to have it properly treated, and treated with respect that it deserves,” Trump said.

Asked about the Israeli withdrawal and the Lebanese military taking over in southern Lebanon, Trump hinted at “very concrete plans already in store for that, with others going in and helping, but they’re also becoming much more self-sufficient.”

Trump expressed willingness to speak to the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. Looking at Aoun, he said, “If the president wanted me to speak to Hezbollah, I would.”

Asked whether he supports a Syrian intervention in Lebanon against Hezbollah, Trump praised Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, saying, “He would like to come in and do something with Hezbollah," adding, "He’s been fighting Hezbollah for a long time. I think it’d be very effective.”

Beirut has strongly rejected any intervention by Syria inside Lebanese territory and Sharaa has said in recent weeks that Damascus would not undertake such an endeavor.

Speaking to reporters, Aoun thanked Trump for the “historic achievement” of signing the framework on June 26 “with the ultimate objective of ending the state of hostility between Lebanon and Israel forever.” He urged continued American support for the Lebanese military, warning that without it, "everything will collapse."

Attending the meeting from the US side were Vice President JD Vance, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, senior adviser for Africa at the State Department Massad Boulos and deputy national security adviser Mike Needham.

The Lebanese side included Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh, economic adviser Rawaa Harati and presidential advisers Andre Rahhal and Jean Aziz.

Following the roughly one-hour meeting between the leaders, Boulos told reporters that the two had "good chemistry," describing the meeting as "very productive." The senior US adviser of Lebanese descent added, "It's all about implementation. It's going to take time. This is not easy. Nobody believes for a second that this is going to be an easy task in any way."

"We are determined, President Trump is absolutely determined to see this through," Boulos said.

The Lebanese military said in a statement Tuesday that its troops entered the village of Zawtar al-Gharbiya in the Nabatieh district on Tuesday morning. The move was coordinated with the so-called Military Coordination Group for Lebanon, which is tasked with overseeing and implementing the trilateral framework agreement between Israel, Lebanon and the US.

The military said on Tuesday afternoon that Israeli forces fired near Lebanon's troops as they were deploying in Zawtar al-Gharbiya. 

“The army command stresses that this attack hinders the implementation of deployment steps in the pilot zones,” the statement read. 

In a separate statement, the Lebanese military urged residents not to return to the village until “the security situation stabilizes.”

The Israeli military, meanwhile, said Lebanese troops had entered an area under Israeli control and dismantled its positions there, according to Israeli broadcaster Kan. It reported that the Israeli military said its soldiers fired warning shots to keep the Lebanese forces from advancing.

The Lebanese deployment comes one day after the US State Department announced the start of “pilot zone operations” in the southern villages of Froun, Srifa and Zawtar al-Gharbiya, the first areas selected to implement the framework signed in late June.

A US official said the Lebanese military will “clear the areas of terrorist weapons and infrastructure, conduct verified clearance operations and hold and secure the zones.”

The Israeli military confirmed its participation on Monday, saying it was coordinating with Lebanon and the US. Israeli forces “will respond forcefully to any violations of the agreement,” its statement on X read.

Israeli forces have pushed deep into southern Lebanon since hostilities resumed on March 2, after Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel in solidarity with Iran. Israel established its Yellow Line in southern Lebanon, a buffer zone extending roughly six miles (10 kilometers) north of the border.

Zawtar Al-Gharbiya lies within that zone, while Froun and Srifa lie south of the Litani River and outside the area where Israeli ground forces are currently deployed.

Progress in south ahead of Aoun-Trump meeting

Aoun’s visit to Washington began on Saturday, and is primarily focused on implementing the trilateral framework, which calls for a phased Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, the deployment of the Lebanese military and the removal of weapons and military infrastructure belonging to non-state armed groups, a provision widely understood to refer to Hezbollah.

Reuters, citing a Lebanese official, reported on Monday that Aoun would present Trump with a proposal for Hezbollah's disarmament and an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory.

Last week, Aoun said he would ask Trump “to exert the necessary pressures on Israel to implement what was agreed upon in the framework deal.” Despite a ceasefire reached in early June, Israel has continued to carry out strikes in southern Lebanon and maintains troops inside Lebanese territory.

A White House official told Al-Monitor on Monday that the meeting “will continue to advance the implementation of the historic Trilateral Framework between the US, Israel and Lebanon.” The official said that the US is committed to “backing the Government of Lebanon’s efforts to deliver peace.”

Aoun met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday and with senior lawmakers on Monday as he seeks to secure US backing for the Lebanese military to help it carry out its mission as well as support for Lebanon’s reconstruction efforts.

Speaking to Lebanon's LBCI news site on Monday, US Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said a $36 million funding request has been submitted to support the Lebanese military. The amount was laid out in the Trump administration's fiscal year 2027 budget, Slotkin's office confirmed to Al-Monitor. 

In neighboring Syria, Sharaa has been leading a crackdown against smuggling efforts between the two countries. On Tuesday, the Syrian Border Crossings and Customs Authority announced the seizure of 226 grenades hidden inside a vehicle that was heading toward Lebanese territory at a border crossing near Damascus.

Last week, Syrian security forces seized a large shipment of weapons that included long-range missiles, anti-tank guided missiles and drones on the border with Iraq. Authorities said the cache of weapons was intended to be smuggled to Hezbollah in Lebanon.

This developing story has been updated since initial publication.