Key facts
- Lebanese President Joseph Aoun will meet U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.
- Aoun plans to present a strategy to disarm Hezbollah and secure Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
- This is the first White House visit by a Lebanese head of state in nearly 20 years.
- Aoun believes President Trump can pressure Israel to implement a U.S.-brokered agreement.
- Hezbollah has rejected government efforts to disarm it.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is scheduled to meet U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House this week, marking the first visit by a Lebanese head of state in nearly two decades. Aoun intends to present a plan focused on disarming the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah and securing the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon.
Aoun, who previously commanded Lebanon's U.S.-backed army, aims to leverage President Trump's influence to pressure Israel into adhering to a U.S.-brokered agreement from June. This agreement seeks to disarm Hezbollah, facilitate an Israeli troop withdrawal, and foster peaceful relations. A Lebanese official stated that Aoun would provide Trump with a written proposal for decommissioning Hezbollah's arsenal, believing only Trump has the leverage to compel Israel's withdrawal and aid Lebanon in regaining sovereignty.
The meeting occurs amid significant tension, with Israeli troops occupying parts of southern Lebanon, leading to hundreds of thousands of displaced Lebanese citizens due to Israeli strikes. Hezbollah has rejected direct talks with Israel and governmental disarmament efforts. Aoun's presidency has been characterized by attempts to secure Hezbollah's disarmament, a group founded in 1982. Following a recent war, Aoun called for direct talks with Israel, a departure from prior state policy, and has criticized Hezbollah for initiating the conflict and being used for Iran's benefit, though he has not agreed to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.