Lebanese President Aoun meets Trump at White House to discuss Hezbollah disarmament plan

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met with US President Donald Trump at the White House on July 21, 2026, presenting a written proposal to disarm Hezbollah and secure an Israeli troop withdrawal under a June 26 framework agreement. The landmark visit, the first by a Lebanese president in nearly 20 years, coincided with the deployment of Lebanese troops into southern pilot zones like Zawtar al-Gharbiya, where Israeli forces fired warning shots. While Trump pledged to help Lebanon with its "Hezbollah problem," Israel maintains it will not fully withdraw without absolute security guarantees.

Aoun-Trump White House meeting

• ▪Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met with US President Donald Trump at the White House on July 21, 2026, marking the first visit by a Lebanese head of state to the White House in nearly 20 years.
• ▪Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on July 19, 2026, to discuss the implementation of the June 26, 2026, framework agreement.
• ▪During their Oval Office meeting, US President Donald Trump committed to helping Lebanon and stated that "there's a Hezbollah problem."

Lebanese military pilot zones

• ▪Hours before the White House meeting on July 21, 2026, Lebanese army troops began deploying in the southern village of Zawtar al-Gharbiya as Israeli forces withdrew.
• ▪The Lebanese military reported that Israeli forces fired warning shots near deploying Lebanese troops in Zawtar al-Gharbiya on July 21, 2026.
• ▪The US State Department announced on July 20, 2026, the start of pilot zone operations in the southern Lebanese villages of Froun, Srifa, and Zawtar al-Gharbiya.

Trilateral framework implementation

• ▪Israeli officials have stated they plan to maintain forces long-term in a security zone extending 10 kilometers deep from their border until Hezbollah is disarmed.
• ▪The US-brokered framework agreement signed on June 26, 2026, aims to disarm Hezbollah, facilitate a progressive Israeli troop withdrawal, and establish peaceful ties.
• ▪Hezbollah rejected the U.S.-brokered direct talks and backed U.S. negotiations with Iran to end the wider conflict.

Hezbollah disarmament proposal

• ▪Lebanese President Joseph Aoun believes that only US President Donald Trump possesses the necessary leverage to pressure Israel to withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon.
• ▪Lebanese President Joseph Aoun presented US President Donald Trump with a written proposal detailing a plan to disarm Hezbollah and secure an Israeli withdrawal.

US military aid to Lebanon

• ▪US Senator Elissa Slotkin confirmed that a $36 million funding request has been submitted in the fiscal year 2027 budget to support the Lebanese military.
• ▪Lebanese President Joseph Aoun urged US President Donald Trump to maintain US support for the Lebanese Armed Forces, warning that without it, the country could collapse.

Syrian weapons smuggling crackdown

• ▪Syrian security forces seized a large shipment of weapons, including long-range missiles and drones, on the border with Iraq that was destined for Hezbollah.
• ▪The Syrian Border Crossings and Customs Authority announced the seizure of 226 grenades hidden inside a vehicle heading toward Lebanon on July 21, 2026.