US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on July 21, 2026. (Credit: Saul Loeb / AFP)
Among the main elements beginning to emerge from discussions between President Joseph Aoun and his American counterpart, Donald Trump, as well as from meetings with several U.S. officials, is the beginning of serious talks aimed at signing security and military agreements, or even a defense agreement between the two countries.This prospect reflects an idea promoted in recent months by certain officials and influential Lebanese figures in the United States. It essentially amounts to requesting direct American protection for Lebanon against any Israeli occupation or any form of tutelage that Tel Aviv might seek to impose by capitalizing on its military gains and continued occupation. It also seeks to shield the country from Iranian influence, or "Iranian tutelage," as some Lebanese circles describe it. This thinking has gained...
Among the main elements beginning to emerge from discussions between President Joseph Aoun and his American counterpart, Donald Trump, as well as from meetings with several U.S. officials, is the beginning of serious talks aimed at signing security and military agreements, or even a defense agreement between the two countries.This prospect reflects an idea promoted in recent months by certain officials and influential Lebanese figures in the United States. It essentially amounts to requesting direct American protection for Lebanon against any Israeli occupation or any form of tutelage that Tel Aviv might seek to impose by capitalizing on its military gains and continued occupation. It also seeks to shield the country from Iranian influence, or "Iranian tutelage," as some Lebanese circles describe it. This thinking has gained...
