During his meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday, in the first visit by a Lebanese president to the White House in 17 years, US President Donald Trump announced that Washington will help Lebanon solve its problems and is moving towards providing it with significant assistance to overcome decades of damage, stressing the strength of bilateral relations and the commitment to treating Lebanon with respect.
During a lengthy press conference that lasted about three-quarters of an hour, Trump explained that the talks would focus on ways to support the country, in addition to discussing the Lebanese army's control over the villages from which Hezbollah withdrew.
The US president reiterated that bilateral relations between the United States and Lebanon are good, and that his country will help Lebanon a lot and will treat Beirut appropriately and with respect, especially since Lebanon has been harmed for several decades, saying: “Lebanon has been treated very badly, and I sympathize with it because I have many friends there.”
He pointed out that the Israeli army is in the process of withdrawing from the south, and that there are concrete plans to help the Lebanese army, adding: “President Aoun will do a great job in Lebanon, just as Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa did in Syria.” He reiterated: “Al-Sharaa may come to do something against Hezbollah, and he has already fought the party for a period of time.”
In response to a question, Trump said: “We will look into the issues related to the pilot phase of the safe zone project in Lebanon, and if the Lebanese president wants me to talk to Hezbollah, I will do so.”
The Lebanese president addressed Trump, saying, “I was looking forward to meeting a great president like you,” to which his American counterpart replied, “This man knows how to address me, and he will get what he wants.”
Aoun believes the time has come for Lebanon and the entire region to enjoy stability and security, noting that the return of security is only a matter of time. He thanked President Trump for the “historic achievement” of signing the framework agreement, and emphasized that the Lebanese army is fulfilling its role as the cornerstone of stability in the country. He said, “I trust it and its leadership, and we must support the Lebanese Armed Forces… Without the Lebanese Armed Forces, everything will collapse. We don’t want that, and I believe President Trump doesn’t want that either.”
In response to a question about Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri’s position on the framework agreement, President Aoun said: “I believe that Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri wants an end to this war and supports it,” while Trump said: “The president is a good person, and when he sees the progress we have made, he will join us.”
President Aoun arrived at the White House at 6:07 PM Beirut time and departed around 7:30 PM. Upon greeting him at the White House entrance, Trump told reporters, “President Aoun is respected and respected by everyone. He has the potential to be among the best leaders in the Middle East. We will help Lebanon and the Lebanese people stay in their country. Lebanon has been treated badly, and we will now treat it well and respectfully. Hezbollah is a problem we are working to solve.”
Later on Tuesday, Trump announced that he would allow the resumption of direct flights by US airlines to Lebanon, after they had been suspended for decades.
“After meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who has made tremendous efforts to develop his country, I am directing my administration to allow all American airlines to operate direct flights to Lebanon, so that Americans can easily visit this beautiful land,” Trump said via his Truth Social platform.
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