U.S. President Donald Trump greets President Joseph Aoun at the entrance to the West Wing of the White House in Washington, DC, on July 21, 2026. (Credit: Saul Loeb/AFP)
To make it easier for Americans to visit what he described as the "beautiful land" of Lebanon, U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he was authorizing the resumption of direct flights between the United States and Lebanon. Trump made the announcement as he stood smiling next to President Joseph Aoun in the Oval Office. The restriction on direct flights between the two countries was imposed in 1985 during the Civil War following the hijacking of a U.S. passenger plane by suspected Hezbollah militants.What do we know about this decades-old restriction, and what door has Trump opened for the restoration of direct air links between Lebanon and the United States?Who said what? "After meeting with the President of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun, who has done a remarkable job working to transform his Country, I am hereby...
To make it easier for Americans to visit what he described as the "beautiful land" of Lebanon, U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he was authorizing the resumption of direct flights between the United States and Lebanon. Trump made the announcement as he stood smiling next to President Joseph Aoun in the Oval Office. The restriction on direct flights between the two countries was imposed in 1985 during the Civil War following the hijacking of a U.S. passenger plane by suspected Hezbollah militants.What do we know about this decades-old restriction, and what door has Trump opened for the restoration of direct air links between Lebanon and the United States?Who said what? "After meeting with the President of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun, who has done a remarkable job working to transform his Country, I am hereby...
In infographics: How 4 months of Israeli attacks and war devastated Lebanon