US and Lebanon Begin Limited Army Control of Pilot Zones in South Lebanon, With Israeli Withdrawal Still Pending

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met US President Donald Trump in Washington on Tuesday. The session follows the United States announcement on Monday that implementation had begun of an agreement placing two pilot zones in southern Lebanon under Lebanese army control.

The zones lie just outside territory Israel has held since March 2026, when Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the wider Middle East conflict.

Under the framework, Israeli forces are to withdraw from southern Lebanon while the Lebanese army deploys, beginning with the pilot areas. The entire arrangement remains contingent on Hezbollah disarmament. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Aoun on Sunday and said Lebanon would never achieve lasting peace while the Hezbollah problem persisted.

Rubio also praised the Lebanese government for its efforts to reclaim sovereignty and dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure. Aoun, elected in early 2025 with Western backing, is the first Lebanese president invited to Washington since 2009. Israeli strikes have killed more than 4,300 people in Lebanon since March, Lebanese authorities reported.

A US-Iran framework agreement signed in June preceded a drop in violence, though Iran and the United States have exchanged renewed strikes since July 7. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa stated that Syria has no intention to intervene in Lebanon. Aoun is expected to seek additional US aid for the Lebanese army during the visit.