Lebanese President Aoun Meets US Secretary Rubio

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on Sunday, July 19, 2026, seeking American support to implement a peace framework and secure an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon. The talks are part of Aoun's first official visit to the U.S. capital by a Lebanese head of state since 2009, and he is scheduled to meet with President Donald Trump on Tuesday, July 21.

During the meeting, President Aoun stressed the need for Lebanon and the United States to align on implementing the tripartite framework agreement signed by Lebanon and Israel on June 26. He emphasized starting with an initial Israeli troop withdrawal from a designated pilot zone in southern Lebanon. In response, Secretary Rubio praised the Lebanese government's determined efforts to reclaim state sovereignty, disarm the Iran-backed Hezbollah group, and dismantle what the U.S. describes as its terrorist infrastructure.

The framework agreement, brokered by the United States, outlines a process where the Israeli military would withdraw from southern Lebanon and the Lebanese army would deploy, beginning with two pilot zones. However, the deal is contingent on the disarmament...