WATCH LIVE: Trump meets with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in the Oval Office

By — Kareem Chehayeb, Associated Press Kareem Chehayeb, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/watch-live-trump-meets-with-lebanese-president-joseph-aoun-in-the-oval-office Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter WATCH LIVE: Trump meets with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in the Oval Office World Jul 21, 2026 11:19 AM EDT BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon's president will meet with President Donald Trump on Tuesday to wrap up a four-day visit to Washington, in a bid for long-term calm after months of war at home between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group. Watch their meeting live in the video player above. Joseph Aoun's first-ever meeting with Trump comes as Lebanon and Israel hold rare direct talks mediated by Washington. This is the first visit by a Lebanese president to the White House since 2009. Lebanon hopes the talks will result in Israeli troops withdrawing from large swaths of southern Lebanon that they currently occupy, and the Lebanese military receiving support to assert full control in areas where Hezbollah militants had held sway. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Lebanon and Israel announced a "framework agreement" on June 26, setting a plan for Israeli forces to withdraw and for the disarmament of Hezbollah, which for decades had a strong presence in southern Lebanon. It also lays out steps toward an eventual peace agreement between the countries, which have never held formal diplomatic ties and have been nominally in a state of war for nearly 80 years after Israel's establishment. The U.S. State Department announced Monday that operations in three villages deemed part of a "pilot zone" had begun, without giving details. Two of the villages, Froun and Srifa, are not under Israeli military control and the Lebanese army is present, while Israeli forces are in part of Zawtar al-Gharbieh. The Lebanese army in a statement said it was preparing for Israel to withdraw from Zawtar al-Gharbieh and that it had begun deploying troops Tuesday. The Israeli military said it "will adjust its force posture in one of the pilot areas in order to enable the Lebanese Armed Forces to carry out their mission," without specifying the location. The Lebanese military later said Israeli troops fired near that area in Zawtar al-Gharbieh, without giving details, and warned it could delay deployment. An Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity in accordance with military guidelines, said the withdrawal had not yet begun. Village mayor waits for safety to be confirmed Abed Ezzeldine, mayor of Zawtar al-Gharbieh, said they were waiting for the Lebanese military to say whether it's safe for residents to check on their homes after they fully deploy and patrol the area. He was concerned about safety, given that the Israeli military is still present in a village next d