Lebanon President Meets US Officials While Iran Reports Downing American Drone

Lebanon President Joseph Aoun arrived at the US State Department on Sunday for a meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Aoun is scheduled to meet President Donald Trump on Tuesday in the first visit by a Lebanese president to Washington since 2009.

The talks are expected to focus on strengthening the ceasefire, securing Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon, and restoring security and stability.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that the death toll from Israeli attacks since March 2 reached 4,328, with 12,229 wounded. Lebanon Prime Minister Nawaf Salam spoke with his Kuwaiti and Jordanian counterparts and condemned Iranian strikes on those countries as a blatant violation of their security and territorial integrity.

Iran’s military stated that its navy air defence systems shot down an American LUCAS drone in southern Iran.

US forces began using the Low-cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System drones in Iran earlier in 2026. Iranian officials reported attacks on a railway station, bridges, water facilities, food silos, and other civilian infrastructure. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held separate meetings with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha.

The discussions addressed regional developments and efforts to coordinate diplomatic steps to de-escalate tensions. IRGC Brigadier-General Yadollah Javani stated on Telegram that Iranian forces delivered heavy blows to American bases in Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, and other nations.

He added that the US is trying to compensate for its military defeat by attacking and attempting to return the Strait of Hormuz to pre-war conditions.