Marco Rubio Holds Talks With Lebanon’s Aoun Over Ceasefire Efforts
Lebanese President Aoun Visits Washington for Talks on Israel Ceasefire and Regional Stability
Washington (News Desk): US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in Washington on Sunday, according to a State Department official, following the latest round of Lebanon-Israel negotiations held in Italy.
The visit marked the first time a Lebanese head of state has travelled to Washington since former President Michel Sleiman met with US President Barack Obama in 2009.
President Aoun’s office said he is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump on Tuesday for discussions focused on developments in Lebanon, efforts to strengthen the existing ceasefire, and Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanese areas it currently occupies.
Lebanon and Israel, which have no formal diplomatic relations, launched US-backed negotiations in April aimed at reaching a long-term peace agreement and bringing a permanent end to the Israel-Hezbollah conflict.
On June 26, both sides reached a framework agreement in Washington under which Israeli forces would withdraw from southern Lebanon while the Lebanese army would expand its deployment, beginning with two designated pilot areas.
The implementation of the agreement depends on the disarmament of Hezbollah, the Iran-backed group that has rejected the proposed arrangement as well as the wider negotiations between Lebanon and Israel.
Following the latest talks in Rome, Israel and Lebanon reached an understanding on the structure and procedures for implementing the pilot zones, according to a US official.
Hezbollah entered the wider regional conflict on March 2 by launching attacks on Israel in support of Iran. Israel responded with airstrikes and a ground operation, and despite the ceasefire, it has continued limited strikes while maintaining positions in southern Lebanon that it describes as a security zone.
Meanwhile, the United States conducted airstrikes on Sunday against Iran, describing the action as retaliation after the first US military fatalities since open hostilities resumed in the Middle East conflict.
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