US pushes Lebanese president to meet with Netanyahu, suggesting sit-down could lead to IDF withdrawal

The US appears to be intensifying its push for Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, suggesting that the sit-down could lead to the IDF withdrawing from the country’s south.

“A direct meeting between President Aoun and Prime Minister Netanyahu, facilitated by President Trump, would give Lebanon the chance to secure concrete guarantees on full sovereignty, territorial integrity, secure borders, humanitarian and reconstruction support, and the complete restoration of Lebanese state authority over every inch of its territory—guaranteed by the United States,” reads a statement from the US Embassy in Lebanon.

The US has been pushing such direct engagement between the two leaders for weeks, with little success.

Aoun faces significant domestic pressure back home, including threats from Hezbollah, and it’s unclear whether he would be willing to meet Netanyahu while Israeli forces continue to occupy a buffer zone in southern Lebanon.

“Lebanon stands at a crossroads. Its people have a historic opportunity to reclaim their country and shape their future as a truly sovereign, independent nation,” reads the statement from the US embassy.

“Direct engagement between Lebanon and Israel, two neighboring countries that should have never been at war, can mark the beginning of a national revival. The extended cessation of hostilities, achieved at the personal request of President Trump, has given Lebanon the space and the opportunity to put all of its legitimate demands on the table with the full attention of the United States government,” the statement continues.

“This is Lebanon’s moment to decide its own destiny, one which belongs to all its people. The United States is ready to stand with Lebanon as it seizes this opportunity with confidence and wisdom. The time for hesitation is over,” the US embassy adds.