Lebanese president to meet Trump on July 21 to discuss talks with Israel

A senior Lebanese official said on Saturday that President Joseph Aoun will meet with his US counterpart Donald Trump in Washington, DC, on July 21 to discuss bilateral ties, as well as security and economic developments in Lebanon.

The talks would focus on direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel and the implementation of the US-sponsored framework deal, notably efforts to solidify the ceasefire, the official told Anadolu.

The official's remarks come hours after the Lebanese presidency announced that Aoun had departed Beirut for Washington, DC, on Saturday morning to pay an official visit to the US at Trump's invitation.

According to the Lebanese official, the US, as the mediator, "has the ability to exert pressure on Israel to advance the implementation of the framework agreement."

Support for the Lebanese Armed Forces will also be high on the agenda, particularly in the pilot areas outlined in the agreement with Israel.

The talks are also expected to address ways to support Lebanon's economy amid the country's ongoing challenges.

Besides, the discussions will cover the future of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), whose mandate expires this year, with a gradual withdrawal scheduled to begin in 2027, the source added.

The official said Lebanon welcomes any UN force that could help support the deployment of the Lebanese army in the south and reinforce regional stability.

Aoun's visit comes after the sixth round of US-sponsored Lebanese-Israeli negotiations concluded Wednesday in Rome.

Beirut and Tel Aviv signed a US-mediated framework agreement on June 26, which provides for a phased Israeli withdrawal from all occupied Lebanese territory, beginning with a pilot model in two zones that have not been publicly identified.

The agreement does not set a timetable for the withdrawal, linking its completion to the Lebanese army assuming full security responsibility in the evacuated areas and the disarmament of armed groups, in reference to the Lebanese group Hezbollah.

Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed more than 4,300 people and wounded 12,200 since March 2, according to official Lebanese figures.