Joseph Aoun meets with President Trump to discuss Lebanese army deployment and Hezbollah disarmament in new US-brokered pilot zones.
Joseph Aoun met with President Trump in Washington to discuss the deployment of the Lebanese army into "pilot zones" in southern Lebanon. The administration announced that these zones, including the village of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh, are part of a trilateral framework agreed upon by Israel, Lebanon, and the United States. The deployment aims to test the Lebanese army's ability to exercise authority while the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) adjust its posture to preserve its right to self-defense. A primary objective of the agreement is the disarmament of the Hezbollah terrorist organization. During the meeting, Aoun requested political support and assistance for the Lebanese Armed Forces. President Trump vowed that the administration would provide help to Lebanon, which has been "hit hard" for decades. While the Lebanese army began its mission, the IDF fired warning shots after troops briefly entered the security zone. Hezbollah has expressed concerns over the agreement, noting that the link between Israeli withdrawal and group disarmament crosses "all red lines."