'This will be your legacy': Aoun seeks financing for Lebanon, pressure on Israel
ONP Summary
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met with Trump at the White House to secure US backing for an agreed Israeli withdrawal from pilot zones in southern Lebanon, where the Lebanese army is to assume control. Trump signaled willingness to engage directly with Hezbollah if Aoun requested, though concerns persist about whether the arrangement might push Lebanon's forces into confrontation with the group.
Progressive:Risky coercion — progressive outlets emphasize critics' concerns that the agreement forces the Lebanese army into pilot zones at risk of Hezbollah conflict despite US political cover.
Conservative:Pragmatic diplomacy — conservative outlets credit Trump's unconventional readiness to negotiate directly with any party, including Hezbollah, to facilitate Israeli withdrawal and regional stability.
'This will be your legacy': Aoun seeks financing for Lebanon, pressure on Israel
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday largely steered clear of the potential minefield that comes with being in front of the press alongside US President Donald Trump, as the two leaders met for the very first time at the White House.
The sit-down is a highly coveted opportunity for Aoun, who assumed office just two weeks before Trump's inauguration in January 2025.
The last Lebanese president to sit in the Oval Office was Michel Sleiman in 2009, with former President Barack Obama.
"Been looking forward to this visit for a very long time, meeting such a great president like yourself," Aoun said in English, prompting the US president to swiftly acknowledge the praise: "See, he knows how to get to me. Now he can have anything he wants."
What Aoun wants is a committed US engagement to Lebanon that comes with increased pressure on Israel, as well as ramped-up financing for the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and reconstruction of the decimated south.
What he received instead after he departed was an announcement from Trump that US airlines will now be permitted to fly directly to Lebanon - something that has not happened in 40 years.
"I am hereby directing my Administration to allow all US airline carriers to fly directly to Lebanon so that Americans can easily visit this beautiful land," he wrote on his social media platform, TruthSocial.
Read more: 'This will be your legacy': Aoun seeks financing for Lebanon, pressure on Israel
US President Donald Trump laughs while shaking hands with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun during their meeting in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, on 21 July 2026 (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters) ...
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