Trump meets with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in the White House
Trump is speaking to reporters in the Oval Office along with the Lebanese president who is visiting:
- Relationship with Lebanon very good.
- Lebanon has been hit hard for many decades.
- We're going to help Lebanon a lot.
- I'll have Lebanon properly treated, with respect.
- On Houthi blockade: We'll see what happens.
- On Houthi blockade in Red Sea: If something happens, we'll just have to take care of business.
- Will be speak about Lebanese Army taking over villages that Hezbollah withdrew from
- Will be looking at issues in pilot zones.
- Would speak to Hezbollah if Aoun wanted him to
- Iran wants to desperately meet.
- We are not leaving Iran
- No interest in meeting Iran until they are ready
- Iran has a very evil people leading the country
- We will not let Iran have a nuclear weapon.
- We will hit any site Iran is thinking about having nuclear.
- Iran has not seen anything yet
- On Iran, we have been nice
- We will be hitting Pickaxe Mountain area*** pretty soon.
- On Canada tariffs, not related to wild fires, but are looking at that.
It is the first meeting at the WHite House with the Lebanese President.
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon has been a fly in the ointment for peace. It is centered on Israel's effort to prevent the Iran-backed militant group from rebuilding its military presence along the border. Hezbollah has long maintained fighters, rockets, and military infrastructure in southern Lebanon despite international calls for the Lebanese government to exercise sole authority over the area. Israel argues that Hezbollah's presence poses an ongoing threat to northern Israel and has conducted airstrikes and ground operations targeting the group's personnel, weapons depots, and command infrastructure. Hezbollah, in turn, has periodically launched rockets, drones, and missiles at Israeli forces and communities.
Recent U.S.-brokered diplomacy has shifted the focus toward replacing Hezbollah's presence with the Lebanese Armed Forces. Under a phased "pilot zone" plan, Israeli forces are beginning to withdraw from selected villages in southern Lebanon while the Lebanese Army moves in to assume security responsibilities. The expectation is that the Lebanese government will extend its authority, disarm Hezbollah in those areas, and prevent the group from re-establishing military positions. Israel has said further withdrawals will depend on whether the Lebanese Army can successfully keep Hezbollah from returning.
President Donald Trump's meeting today with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun comes as this first phase is being implemented. The United States is backing Lebanon's government politically and militarily in an effort to strengthen the Lebanese Army, reduce Hezbollah's influence, and move both Israel and Lebanon toward a broader security arrangement that could eventually evolve into a formal peace agreement. While the initial troop redeployments represent progress, the process remains fragile, with significant skepticism over whether Hezbollah can be effectively disarmed without triggering renewed conflict.
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*** Pickaxe Mountain, also known as Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La, is located in central Iran’s Isfahan Province, about 220 kilometers south of Tehran and just southwest of the Natanz nuclear complex. The mountain is in a heavily secured area that has become increasingly important because of extensive underground construction believed to be connected to Iran’s nuclear program.
Satellite imagery has shown tunneling and development beneath the mountain since around 2020, with some estimates suggesting the facility may be buried more than 100 meters underground. Its depth and hardened design would make it more difficult to inspect or attack than many other nuclear-related sites. The facility has not been inspected by the International Atomic Energy Agency, so its exact purpose and current contents remain uncertain.
The site has drawn greater attention amid reports that Iran may have moved centrifuges or other sensitive nuclear equipment there following attacks on facilities such as Natanz. Its proximity to Natanz and its fortified underground structure have made Pickaxe Mountain a growing focus in discussions about Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
This article was written by Greg Michalowski at investinglive.com.提供 MainLink：Investinglive RSS Breaking News Feed
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