Lebanon President Joseph Aoun meets Rubio ahead of Trump talks | Conflict News

What Happened

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on Sunday, ahead of a scheduled Tuesday meeting with President Donald Trump. Aoun pressed for full implementation of the US-brokered June 26 agreement between Lebanon and Israel, beginning with an initial Israeli troop withdrawal from southern Lebanon. Rubio commended the Lebanese government's efforts to reclaim sovereignty, disarm Hezbollah, and dismantle its terrorist infrastructure. Aoun plans to present Trump with a written proposal outlining how Hezbollah’s arsenal could be dismantled while securing Israel’s withdrawal. The talks follow US-mediated negotiations in Rome between Lebanese and Israeli officials. Hezbollah has rejected direct negotiations and disarmament, while Israel insists it will not fully withdraw unless Hezbollah is disarmed.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The visit marks the first by a Lebanese head of state to Washington since 2009 and comes as Israeli troops remain in southern Lebanon months after the latest Israel-Hezbollah war, with hundreds of thousands displaced. Aoun’s push to reassert state control over arms and secure Israeli withdrawal tests Lebanon’s fragile political shift after Hezbollah’s weakening and the fall of Assad. US pressure on Israel and Hezbollah could determine whether the ceasefire stabilizes or collapses, impacting regional security and Iran’s influence.

Watch For

Aoun’s Tuesday meeting with Trump, where his written disarming proposal may elicit a US response; any subsequent Israeli troop withdrawal or continued presence; Hezbollah’s reaction to renewed diplomacy; potential flare-ups along the Lebanon-Israel border as the framework agreement deadline approaches.