U.S. Urges Aoun-Netanyahu Meeting to Restore Lebanese Control in South
The United States has called on Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to engage in direct talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This initiative, facilitated by President Trump, aims to secure an Israeli military withdrawal from southern Lebanon and restore full Lebanese state control over the region. The U.S. Embassy in Beirut emphasized that such a meeting could mark the beginning of a national revival for Lebanon, offering guarantees on sovereignty, territorial integrity, and humanitarian support. The appeal comes as the U.S. seeks to transition from a fragile ceasefire with Hezbollah to a more stable security arrangement. Lebanon and Israel, which have no formal diplomatic relations, remain technically at war, governed by a 1949 armistice agreement. Hezbollah's military presence in southern Lebanon has been a persistent source of conflict with Israel. 
