LEBANESE PRESIDENT AOUN MEETS TRUMP AMID SECURITY TALKS

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun held talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday and is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump on Tuesday during an official visit to Washington. The visit follows a trilateral framework signed by the United States, Israel, and Lebanon aimed at ending conflict in the country. Aoun, the former head of the Lebanese Armed Forces, is seeking American backing for an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and support for the Lebanese military to assert control over areas previously dominated by Hezbollah.

The framework's first phase commenced on Monday, with pilot zone operations beginning in the villages of Froun, Srifa, and Zawtar Al-Gharbiya under the Military Coordination Group for Lebanon, according to the Trump administration. Under the agreement terms, the Lebanese army is to move into areas as Israeli forces withdraw, with the stated objective of disarming Hezbollah. The United States announced a $30 million funding boost to the Lebanese Armed Forces last month. Secretary of State Rubio stated that Washington would support full implementation of the agreement and that Lebanon would "never be fully at peace" whilst the Hezbollah issue remained unresolved.

Aoun's visit marks the first time a Lebanese head of state has travelled to Washington since Michel Sleiman met President Barack Obama in 2009. Government officials have pressed for investment in Lebanon's infrastructure to strengthen the weakened state. According to reported accounts, the conflict has cost more than 4,000 Lebanese lives. Observers have noted concerns about whether the Lebanese military is equipped to confront Hezbollah and questions about the group's willingness to comply with disarmament requirements.