President Trump pledged to help Lebanon “a lot” during a White House meeting Tuesday with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who traveled to Washington seeking long-term peace after months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
“It’s been a very badly treated place and country and we’re going to have it properly treated and treated with the respect it deserves,” Trump told Aoun. “We’re gonna help it a lot.”
Lebanon and Israel have held rare direct talks mediated by the United States, with Beirut seeking the withdrawal of Israeli forces from parts of southern Lebanon and greater support for the Lebanese military to take control of areas where Hezbollah has operated.
Trump said Israeli forces were “in the process” of withdrawing and “redeploying,” but provided no further details.
The meeting came as a June 26 framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon is being tested. The plan calls for the withdrawal of Israeli forces, the disarmament of Hezbollah and steps toward a potential peace agreement between the two countries, which have never established formal diplomatic relations.
Trump acknowledged that “there’s a Hezbollah problem” and suggested he could personally speak with the group if Aoun wanted him to. He also floated the possibility of Syria helping fight Hezbollah.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday that the U.S. would continue supporting the framework agreement and its full implementation, warning that Lebanon “will never be fully at peace” while Hezbollah remains a powerful armed force.
“How do you replace Hezbollah? You defeat and replace them with a government that is strong enough to be the sole force of arms in the country,” Rubio said.
Aoun called Trump’s vision one of peace and described it as his legacy. Trump agreed, joking that Aoun was handsome and “knows how to get to me,” adding, “Now he can have anything.”
