US Central Command chief Lt. Gen. Brad Cooper met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and army commander Rudolf Haykal in Beirut to advance implementation of the historic framework agreement signed in Washington, according to a CENTCOM statement reported by Ariel Kahana (Israel Hayom). Cooper also visited American troops stationed in the region.
Monday evening's CENTCOM statement, relayed by Ariel Kahana (Israel Hayom), confirms that Lt. Gen. Brad Cooper met Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and army chief Rudolf Haykal in Beirut to advance implementation of the historic framework agreement signed in Washington. The statement describes Cooper's ongoing Middle East trip, which also included visits with senior civilian and military leaders in Israel and a stop to recognize American troops stationed across the region — over 50,000 of whom are currently deployed in the area.
As The Zioneer reported earlier Monday (17:43 Jerusalem), Cooper arrived in Beirut specifically to oversee a pilot phase of the agreement. That bulletin noted the meeting with Aoun and Haykal and the stated goal of beginning implementation. Today's statement from CENTCOM frames the discussions more broadly as covering 'the way forward' for the full framework, without specifying whether a pilot program is still the immediate mechanism. The statement also emphasizes Cooper's visits to both Israeli and Lebanese officials on the same trip — underscoring Washington's dual role as guarantor of the arrangement.
The framework, signed in Washington earlier this year, emerged from ceasefire negotiations that followed months of Israeli complaints that the Lebanese army was avoiding decisive action against Hezbollah south of the Litani River. The US has since activated a live monitoring mechanism to track violations, as The Zioneer reported on June 22. On Sunday, President Trump spoke with Aoun and pledged full US support for implementation, inviting the Lebanese leader to the White House. Today's meeting suggests the diplomatic track remains active even as the operational arrangements are being tested on the ground.
5 developments
- StrongCENTCOM chief to visit IDF Chief of Staff to solidify Lebanon ceasefire
- DevelopingSenior US official reportedly heading to the Gulf, likely CENTCOM commander
- StrongUS Defense Secretary Hegseth meets CENTCOM commander at Florida headquarters
- DevelopingCENTCOM activates live monitoring cell for Lebanon ceasefire, US official tells i24NEWS
Source and signal
- Internal intake