Lebanese President Joseph Aoun receiving the head of the US Middle East Military Command (Centcom), General Michael Kurilla, and the US Ambassador to Lebanon, Lisa Johnson, at Baabda Palace on July 31, 2025. (Credit: Photo Lebanese Presidency/X)
President Joseph Aoun met Thursday with the head of the U.S. Middle East Command (Centcom), General Michael Kurilla, who welcomed the army's deployment in southern Lebanon following the recent war between Israel and Hezbollah.
This visit comes on the eve of the 80th anniversary of the Lebanese Army, and at a time when the issue of disarming Hezbollah is causing tensions in Lebanon.
According to the Lebanese presidency, the meeting focused on "President Aoun's consistent positions regarding the arms monopoly and the reactions to this issue, both domestically and internationally." The president stressed "the need to strengthen American support for the Lebanese army, which alone reflects the Lebanese people's desire to see their country free, sovereign, and independent."
Strengthening military cooperation
The two officials also discussed the situation in southern Lebanon. General Kurilla praised "what the Lebanese army has accomplished so far, following its deployment in most of the southern towns and villages," stating that he expected the end of this deployment after the withdrawal of Israeli forces, which maintain a presence at five points they consider strategic. He also congratulated Aoun for Army Day, before discussing the existing cooperation between the Lebanese Army and the American military, as well as ways to develop it in all areas. The two men finally discussed the situation in Syria and the evolution of relations between the two countries.
On Thursday, Aoun gave a speech on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Lebanese Army, in which he expressed the hope that the military and security forces would be the only ones to hold a monopoly on weapons "throughout Lebanese territory" and "from today onwards," sending messages both to Hezbollah, which he called on with its base to "take a gamble on the Lebanese state," and to its detractors, whom he urged to avoid "provocation and escalation."
Earlier in the day, the Lebanese Army commander General Rodolph Haykal also met the head of Centcom. According to a statement on the Lebanese army's X account, the two generals discussed the general situation in Lebanon and the region, as well as ways to strengthen cooperation between the Lebanese and American armies.
On Wednesday, Haykal reiterated his commitment to "preserving national unity " and stressed that "the army will not tolerate any attempt to drag Lebanon into sedition."
