Key facts
- President Donald Trump has directed his administration to allow U.S. airline carriers to fly directly to Lebanon.
- The ban on direct U.S. flights to Lebanon was imposed in 1985 after the hijacking of TWA Flight 847.
- Trump stated that Lebanon had been "badly treated" and deserved respect.
- Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met with Trump at the White House.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed a trilateral framework between the U.S., Lebanon, and Israel with Aoun.
President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday the reversal of a decades-old ban on U.S. airline carriers flying directly to Lebanon. The prohibition, initially put in place in 1985 following the hijacking of TWA Flight 847 by a group linked to Hezbollah, had prevented direct travel between the two nations.
Trump stated on his Truth Social platform that he was directing his administration to allow direct flights, expressing hope that other countries would follow suit. He met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the White House, where he described Lebanon as a "very badly treated place and country" that deserves respect. This visit marked the first time a Lebanese head of state had visited the White House in nearly two decades.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio had met with Aoun prior to the White House visit to discuss a "trilateral framework" involving the U.S., Lebanon, and Israel, particularly concerning Israeli troop withdrawal from southern Lebanon. The original ban was a "Presidential Determination" issued by President Ronald Reagan. In 1998, President Bill Clinton had eased some restrictions by allowing U.S. airlines to sell tickets through non-U.S. carriers, but direct flights remained prohibited.