President Joseph Aoun, in the first official visit by a Lebanese head of state to Washington in 17 years, declared that disarming Hezbollah is achievable only if three conditions are met: the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory, the Lebanese army assuming exclusive control over all areas, and a reconstruction programme managed solely by the state. Speaking at a dinner hosted by Lebanon’s ambassador to the United States and later at the White House, Aoun framed the formula as the core of his presidency’s mission, stating that Lebanon “can only be secure and united when it is one state with one army that protects all Lebanese without discrimination.” According to a Lebanese official cited by regional media, Aoun presented President Donald Trump with a written proposal outlining a pathway to dismantle Hezbollah’s arsenal, while requesting US pressure on Israel to honour a June ceasefire framework.

Viewed from Beirut, the visit was designed to secure American backing for a sequenced process: first, an Israeli withdrawal from the south, then the extension of state sovereignty through the armed forces, and finally the integration or disarmament of non-state armed groups. Trump, for his part, told reporters he would speak with Hezbollah if the Lebanese president asked him to, without elaborating on the nature of such contacts. Israeli officials, as reported by Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, have conditioned a full pullback on the termination of Hezbollah’s military presence and the implementation of a security plan involving Lebanon, Syria and the United States. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a key interlocutor with Hezbollah, insisted that a complete Israeli withdrawal is the prerequisite for any subsequent political or security steps, a position that aligns with Aoun’s public sequencing but leaves open the question of how disarmament would proceed once the occupation ends.

The first field test of the US-mediated tripartite framework began hours before the Oval Office meeting, when the Lebanese army deployed to the outskirts of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh in the Nabatieh governorate after Israeli forces vacated the area. The army later reported that Israeli troops opened fire near its positions during the operation, warning that such incidents could jeopardise the agreement. The US State Department described the deployment as a “milestone” resulting from recent talks in Rome and said Washington would continue working closely with both sides. American officials have signalled that strengthening the Lebanese armed forces—through equipment, training and support for soldiers’ living conditions—is central to stabilising the south and enabling the state to assume security responsibilities. Analysts in London note that the pilot withdrawal, while limited, is intended to build confidence for a phased Israeli pullback, though the firing incident underscores the fragility of the arrangement.

Aoun’s trip comes as Lebanon grapples with the aftermath of a devastating war that killed thousands of civilians, displaced nearly a fifth of the population and levelled entire villages. The president invoked the country’s history as a bridge between East and West and its unique sectarian power-sharing model, arguing that its survival matters beyond Lebanon’s borders. Regional dynamics weigh heavily on the dossier: according to Sky News Arabia’s military analyst, the trajectory of US-Iran tensions—including the standoff in the Strait of Hormuz—will directly shape Hezbollah’s room for manoeuvre, though the group is expected to confine its opposition to the disarmament project to the media rather than the street for now. The next practical steps involve the continued deployment of the Lebanese army in areas vacated by Israel, further negotiations within the tripartite framework, and the translation of Aoun’s written proposal into a detailed implementation plan, with the US expected to maintain its role as mediator and guarantor.