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Aoun meets Trump as Israel pulls back
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun left Washington without securing a clear US commitment or timetable for Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon, even as Israeli forces continued attacks and military operations across southern Lebanon.
The most tangible outcome of Tuesday’s White House meeting was an agreement to resume direct flights between Lebanon and the United States for the first time in more than four decades.
On Monday, the U.S. State Department announced the activation of so-called pilot zones in southern Lebanon, designed to enable the Lebanese army to replace Israeli troops in occupied areas.
The pilot zones are intended to gradually transfer security responsibility to the Lebanese Armed Forces while Israel carries out a phased withdrawal, but local officials previously told The New Arab that none of the first three pilot-zone villages—Froun, Srifa and Zawtar al-Gharbiya—weren't under Israeli occupation before the rollout.
Israel’s troop moves were framed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as redeployments rather than withdrawals, while the Lebanese Armed Forces said its units entered Zawtar Al Gharbeye after Israel withdrew from the town.
Quotes, warnings, and disputed framing
Aoun’s push for US pressure on Israel to withdraw ran alongside Trump’s public emphasis on an Israeli "redeployment" rather than a full withdrawal, and Trump again linked US support for Lebanon to Hezbollah's disarmament and the state's ability to establish exclusive control over weapons.
In the same reporting, The New Arab quoted Aoun’s warning that "A political path without an economic path is a state that cannot compete," as he argued the process must begin with ending Israel's occupation of Lebanese territory.
The Jerusalem Post described the pilot program as beginning with cooperation from the US and Lebanese militaries, with the IDF stating that "As part of the pilot, teams from the IDF, the US military, and the Lebanese Armed Forces are coordinating".
But local deployment quickly met friction, with the Lebanese army saying Israeli forces fired at close range to its units during deployment in Western Zotar, stressing that "this attack could hinder the implementation of deployment steps in the experimental areas."
The dispute over what the pilot zones represent also surfaced in Al Jazeera’s analysis, which framed the withdrawal as a test that goes beyond a limited field operation and questioned whether Tel Aviv is paving the way for a gradual withdrawal.
What’s at stake next
The pilot-zone rollout is tied to a broader framework agreement signed in June by Lebanon, Israel, and the United States, and Washington expects the Lebanese Armed Forces to clear the areas of Hezbollah weapons and infrastructure and hold and secure the zones so Hezbollah cannot use them for attacks.
A U.S. official said the establishment of these initial pilot zones represents "real progress on the ground" and an opportunity for the Lebanese state to begin to reassert real control in areas historically dominated by Hezbollah.
At the same time, the U.S. warned that "Any attempt by Hezbollah to derail, infiltrate, or re-arm in these zones would seriously harm the prospects for reconstruction and peace," linking compliance to reconstruction and peace prospects.
The stakes for Lebanon’s internal balance were also explicit in reporting that Aoun warned of political risks of confronting Hezbollah without upsetting Lebanon's sectarian balance, while he urged the United States to provide support to the Lebanese Army to disarm Hezbollah in the south.
Al Jazeera’s military analysis added that the agreement lacks a clear timetable for next phases, which could allow Israel to extend the status quo if conditions for success are not met, while Hezbollah’s stance on arrangements north of the Litani complicates any broader disarmament plan.
