Rubio Praises Lebanon's Efforts to Disarm Hezbollah in Washington Talks

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in Washington on Sunday, praising the Lebanese government's efforts to disarm Hezbollah and restore national sovereignty, while reaffirming the United States' commitment to supporting peace and economic recovery in Lebanon.

According to a readout from the US State Department, attributable to Spokesperson Tommy Pigott, the two leaders discussed the implementation of the Trilateral Framework during their meeting. Rubio commended what the statement described as the courage of the Government of Lebanon, under President Aoun's leadership, for its determined effort to reclaim Lebanon's sovereignty, disarm Hezbollah and dismantle its terrorist infrastructure, and move toward peace. The secretary also reaffirmed Washington's commitment to backing the Lebanese government's efforts to deliver peace, economic recovery, and a better future for the Lebanese people.

The visit marks the first official trip by a Lebanese president to Washington since 2009, when then-President Michel Sleiman was received by President Barack Obama. Lebanon's presidential office said Aoun also plans to hold talks with President Donald Trump on the situation in Lebanon, including ways to reinforce the ceasefire and secure Israel's withdrawal from Lebanese territory it currently occupies.

Since April, Lebanon and Israel have been engaged in US-mediated negotiations aimed at ending the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. On June 26, the two sides reached a framework agreement in Washington under which the Israeli military would withdraw from southern Lebanon and the Lebanese army would take up fixed positions there, beginning as a first step in two pilot areas.

Implementation of the agreement has been made conditional on the disarmament of Hezbollah, which has entirely rejected both the agreement and the negotiations between Israel and Lebanon.

Following the final round of talks last week in Rome, a US official said Israel and Lebanon had reached agreement on guidelines for implementing the pilot areas.

Tensions escalated after Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel on March 2, prompting Israeli airstrikes and ground operations in response. Despite the ceasefire, Israel has continued to maintain control over part of southern Lebanese territory.

With Aoun's Washington visit and planned talks with Trump, the coming days are expected to test whether the momentum from the Rome negotiations can translate into concrete steps toward full implementation of the Trilateral Framework.