Trump Meets Aoun at White House as Israel-Lebanon Plan Advances
Published
U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to the White House on Tuesday for the first such visit by a Lebanese president since 2009. The talks came as the U.S.-brokered Israel-Lebanon framework moved into its pilot-zone phase, with the Lebanese army deploying in southern villages and Israel adjusting its forces around Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh. Aoun sought American backing for the Lebanese army and continued Israeli withdrawals. U.S. officials said the pilot zones are intended to build confidence and prevent Hezbollah from restoring weapons or military infrastructure.
Sources
Difference in reporting
Sources factually disagree on the initial withdrawal’s status: Al-Monitor and Walla report that Israel had begun or completed the first pullback; AP cites an Israeli military official saying it had not yet begun. All agree that Trump met Aoun at the White House as the pilot-zone process advanced; UPI confirmed the meeting’s agenda shortly before it began.
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