Trump meets Lebanese President Aoun to discuss peace

President Donald Trump hosted Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the White House on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, for a meeting focused on advancing a fragile peace process between Lebanon and Israel. The visit, the first by a Lebanese head of state to the White House since 2009, occurred amid ongoing regional tensions and efforts to implement a U.S.-brokered framework agreement.

During remarks in the Oval Office, Trump praised Aoun as a highly respected leader and described Lebanon as a country that has been "very mistreated" for a long time. He expressed a commitment to help the nation and ensure it is treated with respect. Aoun thanked Trump, stating he had looked forward to the meeting for a long time. In a lighthearted moment captured on video, Trump joked that because Aoun called him a "great president," the Lebanese leader could now "have anything."

The substantive discussions centered on the trilateral framework for peace signed last month by the United States, Lebanon, and Israel. A key Lebanese objective is the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon, where they have been engaged in near-daily clashes with the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. Trump indicated...