Trump Meets Aoun; U.S. Allows Direct Flights to Lebanon While Saying Iran Must Be Ready for Talks

President Donald Trump met Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the White House on July 20. Trump pledged to help Lebanon a lot and said the country had been badly treated and would receive proper respect. Hours after the meeting he announced on social media that he is directing his administration to allow all U.S.

Airline carriers to fly directly to Lebanon. Aoun’s visit was the first by a Lebanese president since 2009. Direct flights between the United States and Lebanon were suspended in 1985 after the hijacking of TWA Flight 847.

Trump stated that Americans would now be able to visit Lebanon easily. Lebanon and Israel announced a framework agreement on June 26 that sets a plan for Israeli forces to withdraw from southern Lebanon and for the disarmament of Hezbollah. The U.S. State Department said on July 20 that operations had begun in three villages of one pilot zone: Froun, Srifa, and Zawtar al-Gharbieh.

The Lebanese army began deploying troops in Zawtar al-Gharbieh on July 21. The Israeli military said it would adjust its force posture in one pilot area to enable Lebanese forces to carry out their mission.

A Lebanese military official said troops were unsure whether Israeli forces had been present in Zawtar al-Gharbieh before the deployment. The Lebanese military said Israeli troops fired near the deployment area on July 21. The Israeli military said Lebanese soldiers had entered an area outside the pilot zone and that its troops fired warning shots in the air.

The Lebanese army disputed that account and said its soldiers remained inside the pilot zone. Aoun met U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on July 19. Rubio said Washington would continue to endorse the framework agreement and support its full implementation.

Lebanon’s government came to power on a reformist platform in early 2025 and vowed to disarm all non-state groups including Hezbollah.