President Trump greeted Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the White House on Tuesday for a high-stakes meeting about Israel’s initial withdrawal from south Lebanon and ways to disarm Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorists.
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Mr. Trump shared a lengthy handshake with Mr. Aoun after he emerged from a black SUV in front of the West Wing.
“We feel very good about Lebanon,” Mr. Trump told reporters.
Mr. Aoun is the first Lebanese president to visit the White House since 2009.
The leaders are trying to implement a late June agreement between Israel and Lebanon that called for a phased-in withdrawal of Israeli troops, who bombarded Lebanon in response to Hezbollah attacks.
Israeli withdrawal from so-called “pilot areas” must be accompanied by the disarmament of Hezbollah by the Lebanese Armed Forces.
Thousands of Lebanese people have been killed in the fighting, which began earlier this year alongside the U.S. war on Iran to prevent Tehran from getting a nuclear weapon.
Hezbollah is a Shiite militant group that acts both as a political party and an Iran-backed proxy in Lebanon.
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Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has been a complicating factor in the pursuit of a broader Middle East peace.
Iran is upset about the Israeli assault and says its withdrawal from Lebanon must be part of a broader deal.
Hezbollah is reluctant to participate in U.S.-brokered negotiations, however, and Mr. Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are negotiating through the Americans rather than meeting directly.
Mr. Trump insists the U.S. and Israel remain on the same page, but he’s urged Mr. Netanyahu to urge more caution and avoid civilian deaths in his attacks on Hezbollah.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Mr. Aoun on Sunday.
“I commended his courage and his government’s work to reclaim their country and advance towards peace,” Mr. Rubio said on social media. “The United States remains committed to supporting this effort and Lebanon’s efforts to deliver security, peace and a better future for the Lebanese people.”
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