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US President Donald Trump met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the White House on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, marking the first visit by a Lebanese president to the White House since 2009. During the meeting, Trump announced that he has directed his administration to allow all US airline carriers to resume direct flights to Lebanon, ending a suspension that has been in place since 1985.
The decision to resume direct flights follows a meeting between Trump and Aoun, where they discussed the stability in the region and the ongoing conflict between Israel and Lebanon. "After having met with the president of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun, who has done an extraordinary job in transforming his country, I am directing my administration to allow all American airlines to fly directly to Lebanon so that Americans can easily visit this beautiful land," Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth.
The suspension of direct flights between the US and Lebanon was implemented in 1985 after the hijacking of two Trans World Airlines planes at Beirut airport by members of the Shiite group Hezbollah. Currently, Americans traveling to Lebanon do so with stopovers in airports such as Istanbul, Doha, or Dubai.
In addition to the announcement on flights, Trump and Aoun discussed the ongoing efforts to stabilize the region, including the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon. The Lebanese army has begun deploying in three southern towns as part of a US-backed framework agreement with Israel. Engineering units entered the town of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh to clear explosives following the Israeli withdrawal.
Trump expressed his support for Lebanon and its sovereignty, stating, "It’s been a very badly treated place and country and we’re going to have it properly treated and treated with the respect it deserves. We’re gonna help it a lot." However, he did not provide a specific timeline for the Israeli withdrawal, stating only that Israeli forces were "in the process of redeploying."
Aoun thanked Trump for his support, writing in the White House guest book that he felt "deep appreciation for President Trump's friendship and for the support the United States of America provides to Lebanon, its sovereignty, its legitimate institutions, and the Lebanese Armed Forces."
The meeting between Trump and Aoun comes at a time of increased tension in the Middle East, with the US pushing for peace in Lebanon while also focusing on a new escalation in the war with Iran. The US has been mediating talks between Lebanon and Israel, which do not maintain diplomatic relations.
The Lebanese army's deployment in the southern towns is part of a pilot plan aimed at facilitating the deployment of the Lebanese army as Israeli forces prepare to redeploy from parts of southern Lebanon. The US has been supporting this effort as part of a broader strategy to stabilize the region and counter the influence of Hezbollah.
Trump also expressed his willingness to engage in direct talks with Hezbollah if requested by Aoun. "I am open to direct talks with Hezbollah if President Aoun believes it is necessary," Trump said during the meeting.
The resumption of direct flights between the US and Lebanon is expected to have a significant impact on the Lebanese economy and US-Lebanon relations. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam stated that the decision represents "a great opportunity to strengthen travel and relations between Lebanon and the United States, and to support the Lebanese economy."
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