US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Sunday and discussed the implementation of the trilateral framework agreement, according to the State Department. Rubio commended the Lebanese government's efforts to disarm Hezbollah and dismantle its terrorist infrastructure, and reaffirmed the United States' commitment to supporting the deal.
The US State Department on Sunday evening confirmed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun earlier in the day and praised the Lebanese government's 'courage and determination' to disarm Hezbollah and dismantle its terrorist infrastructure. The statement, which provides the first official US confirmation of the meeting, noted that the two discussed implementation of the trilateral framework agreement signed in Washington in late June. Rubio reaffirmed US commitment to supporting the deal.
Our thread tracked the visit from its outset. At 10:36 on Saturday, July 18, The Zioneer reported that Aoun had departed for Washington. Within hours, we reported his landing in the capital, his arrival at the State Department, and the meeting itself—all based on Israeli media reports (Channel 12, Abu Ali Express). The State Department's statement now adds official corroboration and specific praise for the disarmament efforts, evolving the source from initial news reports to an on-record US government position.
As The Zioneer has reported throughout the spring and summer, the meeting is the latest in a series of high-level contacts following the June 27 trilateral framework agreement. President Trump spoke with Aoun on June 28, pledging full US support for implementation. Rubio and Aoun previously discussed the disarmament plan and ceasefire with Israel on June 19. The framework, which Secretary Rubio called 'the beginning of the beginning,' aims to establish a new security architecture along the Israel-Lebanon border, with Lebanon taking control of its territory to counter Hezbollah.
No specific timeline for the disarmament process or next steps for the ceasefire with Israel were provided in the State Department's statement. The question of Israel's withdrawal from occupied territories in southern Lebanon, which was cited in earlier reports as a topic of the talks, remains a key open issue that is expected to be addressed in the upcoming Israel-Lebanon talks.
7 developments
- DevelopingRubio, Lebanese President Aoun discuss Hezbollah disarmament and ceasefire with Israel
- StrongUS Secretary of State Rubio says US will help Lebanon 'take control' of territory to counter Hezbollah
- DevelopingRubio spoke to Netanyahu and Lebanon's Aoun overnight to resolve final differences
- StrongUS State Department endorses Netanyahu's stance: withdrawal from Lebanon conditioned on Hezbollah disarmament
Source and signal
- Internal intake