One more decisive step against Iranian influence in Lebanon

The summit between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington marks a key milestone in the Lebanese government’s efforts to restore the authority of the state. Behind the summit lay a strategic objective that is part of the broader regional transformation now underway and that the United States fully supports because it also serves its own objectives: bringing an end to Iran’s influence in Lebanon.

In practical terms, as is widely understood, that means resolving the issue of Hezbollah’s illegal weapons. The group continues to reject the authority of the Lebanese state and remains firmly opposed to the political course pursued by the president. For the Lebanese people and the international community, however, with the obvious exception of Iran, resolving the issue of Hezbollah’s weapons remains an essential prerequisite for restoring the state’s sovereignty.

That issue, together with Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon under the June 26 Lebanese-Israeli framework agreement and, above all, support for the Lebanese Armed Forces, was at the heart of the talks between Presidents Trump and Aoun at the White House.

President Aoun described his meeting with his American counterpart as excellent. Earlier, during a press conference ahead of the summit, Trump had reiterated the main pillars of his administration’s policy on Lebanon and Iran.

On Lebanon, Trump reaffirmed his full support for both the country and his Lebanese counterpart, whom he said had “been fighting Hezbollah for a very long time.”

He also said he wanted “to help Lebanon a lot,” describing it as “a very badly treated country for a long period of time,” before praising it as “the homeland of many of my friends.”

Aoun thanked his host for what he called “a historic visit and the historic achievement we accomplished together with the signing of the framework agreement.” The last visit by a Lebanese president to Washington was in 2009.

He recalled that the framework agreement’s “ultimate objective” is “ending the state of hostility between Lebanon and Israel forever.”

Before the meeting, the Lebanese president had said he intended to ask his U.S. counterpart to pressure Israel to withdraw from southern Lebanon.

Since taking office, Aoun has pledged to disarm Hezbollah. In the Oval Office, he asked Trump for substantial support for the Lebanese Armed Forces and urged him to “continue supporting” the country’s regular forces.

“Without them, everything will collapse. We don’t want that. I don’t think President Trump wants that either,” Aoun said.

Trump replied that he had “very concrete plans” to help the Lebanese Armed Forces, which are to play a pivotal role in the process of disarming Hezbollah and restoring the authority of the state.

But the U.S. president “will likely want further evidence that Joseph Aoun is serious about his commitments” to disarm Hezbollah and achieve peace with Israel, Robert Satloff, executive director of the Washington Institute, told AFP. In this context, Al Hadath, the Arabic-language channel, reported that President Aoun did in fact present Trump with a plan to disarm Hezbollah, which could lead to a drastic weakening of Iran's influence in Lebanon.

Speaking to reporters, Trump said he would be willing to talk to Hezbollah “if President [Aoun] wanted me to.”

“I can talk to anybody,” he said.

He also praised Nabih Berri, speaker of Lebanon’s Parliament and leader of the Amal Movement, Hezbollah’s ally, saying he “wants the war to end.”

Alongside the political dimension, one of the most notable immediate outcomes of the White House meeting was undoubtedly President Trump’s announcement that he had instructed his administration to authorize all U.S. airlines to resume direct flights to Lebanon.

“Iran Has Not Seen Anything Yet”

On Iran, Donald Trump reiterated his threats, saying that “the United States is not done at all” with the Islamic Republic, which is tightening pressure on the Strait of Hormuz through its Yemeni allies, the Houthis.

The United States would “deal with” the Houthis if they carried out their threats, the U.S. president said. Washington had already mobilized against the group after it disrupted maritime traffic during the Gaza war, launching drone and missile attacks against ships.

Trump also reiterated that Iran, which he said “hasn’t seen anything yet,” “desperately” wanted a meeting. But he added: “Until they are ready to do it in a constructive way, we don’t see any reason to do so.”

Iran’s interior minister, who was in Islamabad on a diplomatic mission, was expected to return empty-handed after Trump made clear to Pakistan’s mediator that he was not interested in the 10-day truce proposed by Tehran.

During his press conference, the U.S. president also raised the possibility of strikes against Mount al-Faas (literally “Mount of the Axe”), which houses one of Iran’s most heavily fortified and secret underground nuclear facilities.

The Lebanese Army in Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh

The Aoun-Trump summit took place as the first phase of the June 26 Lebanese-Israeli framework agreement was being implemented on the ground in Lebanon. The Lebanese Army began deploying in Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh, a village in the Nabatiyeh district that had been occupied by Israel.

Early Tuesday morning, the Lebanese Army announced the start of its deployment in the area, saying the operation was being carried out on the basis of contacts with the body established under the framework agreement, namely the Military Coordination Group for Lebanon (MCG4L).

But shortly after the deployment began, tensions rose again following an incident that underscored the fragility of the process underway.

The Lebanese Army accused Israeli forces of opening fire “near” its units as they were entering Zawtar.

In a statement, the military command warned that the firing “hinders the implementation of the deployment in the pilot areas,” which were coordinated with the MCG4L and number three in total. They are Froun, Srifa and Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh. Israel had maintained a presence only in the latter village.

The Israeli army, quoted by Kan, confirmed the firing but said it consisted only of warning shots.

According to the Israeli army, Lebanese soldiers accompanied by a bulldozer had crossed the agreed boundary for that pilot area. The warning shots were intended to make them turn back. The U.S.-led monitoring mechanism was immediately informed of the incident, according to the Israeli military.

The Lebanese Army, for its part, barred residents from returning to Zawtar as long as calm remained fragile there, particularly as it was clearing the village of missiles and other unexploded ordnance.

Shelling and Demolition Operations

Despite the entry into force of the first phase of the framework agreement, the intensity of Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon has not decreased.

Blasting operations continued on Tuesday, particularly in the Bint Jbeil district, as well as in Khiam, where the Israeli army says it is destroying Hezbollah infrastructure. The heights of the strategic Ali Taher hill in Nabatiyeh were targeted again, while explosions were heard across the so-called security zone established by Israel along its northern border with Lebanon, where it continues to operate as long as it considers that Hezbollah’s capabilities have not been neutralized.

Iranian Threats

While the Lebanese issue is moving forward in line with the approach adopted by the Lebanese authorities, with U.S. backing, the regional issue – and more specifically the U.S.-Iran negotiations – has stalled.

The day after another round of overnight U.S. strikes, which have become a daily occurrence over the past ten days, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) threatened “even more violent” attacks against U.S. interests in the region. This means Gulf countries and Jordan, with Tehran refraining from striking Israel for fear of opening the gates of hell and facing the consequences.

Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan intercepted Iranian missiles again on Tuesday. Kuwaiti authorities accused Iran of targeting civilian infrastructure for the fourth consecutive day, including power plants and water desalination plants, where fires broke out.

Meanwhile, in Yemen, the Houthis intensified the maritime blockade they have imposed on Saudi Arabia in response to the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports. On Tuesday, they warned shipping companies that they would target any vessel traveling to or from Saudi ports, prompting Donald Trump’s warning during his joint press conference with Joseph Aoun.

Finally, on the diplomatic front, Paris summoned Iran’s chargé d’affaires following the assault on two French diplomats in Tehran.

French authorities are demanding that those responsible be punished. They reiterated that no easing of European sanctions would be considered as long as Iran continues its nuclear program and what they describe as destabilizing actions in the region.