Aoun: Washington Talks Separate, Focused on Israeli Withdrawal

Details

• President Aoun said the fifth round of Lebanon-Israel talks in Washington is proceeding independently of any understandings reached during recent US-Iran meetings in Switzerland.

• He stressed that Lebanese efforts are centred on consolidating the ceasefire in southern Lebanon and achieving a full Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory.

• Aoun revealed that discussions are still ongoing over the geographic boundaries of proposed pilot zones, with final approval requiring agreement from the Israeli side.

• The president said recent statements by Syria’s leadership were positively received in Beirut, helping ease speculation about any future Syrian military role in Lebanon.

• The Washington negotiations began with joint diplomatic and military discussions before moving into separate technical tracks to draft a declaration of intent covering political, security and military issues.

• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed that Washington is dealing directly with the Lebanese government, describing Lebanon as a sovereign state whose future belongs to its people.

• Aoun received a call from US Vice President JD Vance and Rubio, who reiterated support for the Lebanese Armed Forces and security institutions as the sole legitimate authorities responsible for extending state control.

• Discussions also addressed proposals for a trilateral de-confliction mechanism involving the United States, Lebanon and Iran, although US officials said the structure remains under review.

• Aoun told US officials that Lebanon would accept nothing less than a complete Israeli withdrawal from the south and the removal of any form of external control over Lebanese affairs.

• Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam were briefed on the US contacts, while French President Emmanuel Macron told Berri that the November 2024 ceasefire framework remains fully implementable.

• Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said the group would cooperate with the Lebanese Armed Forces “to the maximum extent” and insisted that Israel must fully withdraw from Lebanese territory.

• Two civilians were killed and several others wounded after Israeli forces opened fire on municipal workers and residents carrying out recovery operations in Nabatieh Fawqa.

• An Israeli drone later struck a vehicle near Braasheet in the Bint Jbeil district, marking the first reported aerial attack since the partial pause in operations over the weekend.

• Israeli media reported that the military has ordered troops in southern Lebanon to move only in small groups amid concerns over potential attempts to capture soldiers.

What to watch

Negotiators are expected to continue discussions through the week, but any escalation on the ground could complicate efforts to transform the ceasefire into a more durable security arrangement.