By The Epoch Times | Created at 2026-07-21 15:39:44 | Updated at 2026-07-21 19:32:40
4 hours ago
President Donald Trump meets with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in the Oval Office of the White House on July 21, 2026. Saul Loeb/AFP
WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump welcomed Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to the White House on July 21 to discuss ways to implement the Trilateral Framework, the U.S.-backed deal between Lebanon and Israel that was recently signed.
This marks Aoun’s first in-person meeting with Trump.
Both leaders will address the new deal signed on June 26 that aims to expand Lebanese military control in the country’s south, reduce Hezbollah’s presence, and enable a phased Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory.
Before the meeting, a White House official told reporters that the visit aims to advance implementation of the framework agreement, reaffirming America’s commitment to “backing the Government of Lebanon’s efforts to deliver peace, economic recovery, and a better future for the Lebanese people.”
Lebanon is also looking for international help to rebuild after Israeli strikes left parts of the south in ruins. The United States is seen as a crucial player in rallying donor support.
Aoun arrived in Washington over the weekend and first met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio on July 19.
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“The future of Lebanon, the best thing that could happen to Lebanon, is to have a government, a legitimate government, his government, that controls the country,” Rubio said following the meeting.
He stated that Hezbollah remains Lebanon’s greatest obstacle to lasting peace, noting the country would “never fully be at peace” as long as the Iran-backed group retains its armed force.
Rubio added that Washington seeks to increase investment in Lebanon and explore restoring direct commercial flights between the two countries.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
