Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, center, reviews the honor guard upon his arrival at the Lebanese Parliament to be sworn in as the new president, in Beirut, Lebanon, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
A dramatic diplomatic shift is unfolding in the Middle East as Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has been invited to the White House on July 21, just weeks after Jerusalem and Beirut signed a US-brokered framework agreement aimed at ending years of cross-border fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorists.
The invitation fuels growing speculation that Washington is trying to reshape the region’s political landscape. The Trump administration is reportedly seeking a landmark trilateral meeting between Aoun, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and US President Donald Trump, although Beirut has resisted the idea while Israeli troops remain in southern Lebanon.
The diplomatic push also faces a major obstacle: Hezbollah has rejected the agreement and continues to refuse calls to disarm, despite longstanding international demands that the Lebanese state hold a monopoly on armed force.
Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter first revealed Aoun’s planned visit, while Netanyahu’s office confirmed the Israeli leader is also expected in Washington soon, raising hopes for the most significant breakthrough in Israel-Lebanon relations in decades.
Proposed coalition would also need Shas support, despite its endorsement of Netanyahu.
The agency last estimated Iran held over 440 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% purity.
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