Lebanese President Joseph Aoun's Visit to Washington (2026)

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s Visit to Washington is an official state visit planned to take place at the White House on 21 July 2026 at the invitation of US President Donald Trump. The visit will mark the first time since 2009 that a Lebanese president has met face to face with a US president at the White House. During the talks, it is expected that the implementation of the framework agreement signed between Lebanon and Israel on 26 June 2026, the permanent establishment of the ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from occupied Lebanese territories, as well as bilateral relations and regional security issues will be addressed.

US President Donald Trump announced during a press statement at the G7 Summit held in France on 17 June 2026 that President Aoun would visit the White House “in the near future.” Trump stated in his remarks that the president would be visiting “within the next couple of weeks” and described Aoun as a “good man.”

The Lebanese Embassy in Washington, in a statement issued on 8 July 2026, confirmed that the White House had formally invited President Aoun to visit Washington on 21 July and hold talks with President Trump. The embassy statement included the following: “This invitation reflects the enduring partnership between Lebanon and the United States and enables the two leaders to discuss mutual interests including bilateral relations, regional security, and the continued US support for Lebanon’s sovereignty, stability, territorial integrity and state institutions.” The embassy noted that the visit follows an intensive diplomatic process conducted in close coordination between the Lebanese Presidency and senior officials of the US administration, and that all preparations are being coordinated in close cooperation with the Lebanese Presidency, the White House and the US Department of State to ensure a successful bilateral meeting.

The visit constitutes not only President Aoun’s first face-to-face meeting with a US president since assuming office in January 2025, but also the first-ever meeting between Trump and a Lebanese president. The last Lebanese president to visit Washington was Michel Suleiman, who held talks with President Barack Obama in 2009.

Negotiations between Lebanon and Israel began on 16 April 2026 with ambassadorial-level talks in Washington following Israel’s large-scale attack on Lebanon on 2 March 2026. On the same day, during a telephone conversation between President Aoun and President Trump, the US president pledged to work toward achieving a ceasefire as soon as possible. On 3 June 2026, Lebanese and Israeli parties agreed on a conditional ceasefire contingent upon Hizbullah halting its attacks against Israel. Nevertheless, Israel continued its attacks in southern Lebanon.

On 26 June 2026, after four days of negotiations in the US Department of State building in Washington, Lebanon, Israel and the United States signed a framework agreement under US mediation. The fourteen-point framework agreement saw Lebanon and Israel express their intent to formally end the state of war and commit to US-supported negotiations toward a comprehensive peace agreement. The agreement also foresees the establishment of designated areas known as “pilot zones”, where the Lebanese Armed Forces will assume full security control following Israel’s withdrawal. During a telephone conversation between Aoun and Trump on 27 June 2026, the framework agreement was discussed. According to a statement from the Lebanese Presidency, Aoun reiterated Lebanon’s commitment to implementing the agreement and expressed hope that Washington would help prevent Israel from violating it. Trump congratulated Aoun on concluding the agreement and reaffirmed the US commitment to supporting Lebanon in ensuring its full implementation.

The sixth round of Lebanon-Israel negotiations following the framework agreement took place on 14–15 July 2026 at the US Embassy in Rome, Italy’s capital, marking the first time such talks were held outside Washington. Prior to the round, President Aoun instructed the delegation through Prime Minister Nawaf Salam to demand as a priority Israel’s withdrawal from the two pilot zones it occupies in southern Lebanon.

The Rome round concluded with agreement on the mechanism for implementing the pilot zones. A Lebanese official stated that the pilot zones are expected to become operational within days following the talks.

Following these developments, President Aoun departed from the capital Beirut on the morning of 18 July 2026 (Saturday) with his wife, Nimet Aoun, bound for Washington.

The Lebanese Presidency stated that a Lebanon-US summit will be held between Aoun and Trump at the White House, and that the president will also hold meetings and consultations with several US officials. It was noted that discussions will cover the situation in Lebanon, the permanent consolidation of the ceasefire, steps to restore security and stability throughout the country and particularly in southern regions, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from occupied Lebanese territories, and the establishment of state authority across all areas of the country.

The United States postponed a virtual meeting scheduled for Friday, 17 July 2026, among military delegations from Lebanon, Israel and the US to discuss the first phase of the “pilot zones” plan. Close sources to the negotiations informed Asharq Al-Awsat that Washington requested the delay due to the need for additional time to finalize technical documentation, operational plans and implementation procedures.

On 8 July 2026, in a speech before a Lebanese business delegation, President Aoun stated that he expected the Washington visit and his meeting with Trump to bring “positive outcomes” for Lebanon.

According to a written statement issued by the Lebanese Presidency on 13 July, Aoun said: “I will ask US President Donald Trump to exert the necessary pressure on Israel to implement the provisions of the framework agreement and Lebanon’s demands. I will also leverage the current US desire to achieve peace in the region to strengthen Lebanon’s position during this process.”