Lebanese President Joseph Aoun visits the White House on Tuesday, in the first visit by a Lebanese president to Washington in nearly two decades, carrying a proposal addressing a mechanism for disarming Hezbollah and ensuring the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, at a time when southern Lebanon is witnessing field steps to implement new security arrangements.

During his meeting with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, Aoun affirmed that the stability of Lebanon and the region is a shared goal, saying: "This will be your legacy.. Together we will be able to achieve this goal. It is time for Lebanon and the entire region to witness stability and security."

For his part, Trump said that Lebanon "has been treated very badly," adding that the United States will work to "have it treated as it should be and with the respect it deserves," noting that "there is a problem concerning Hezbollah."

According to Lebanese sources, Aoun is carrying to Washington a written plan that includes a vision for dismantling Hezbollah's arsenal, in exchange for US pressure on Israel to complete its withdrawal from areas it still controls in southern Lebanon, in implementation of the ceasefire agreement sponsored by the United States.

Hours before the meeting, the Lebanese army began deploying in southern areas from which Israeli forces had withdrawn, in a step described as the first practical test of the security arrangements stipulated in the agreement, which call for strengthening the army's deployment and confining weapons to the state.

According to officials, the Lebanese president believes that Trump has the necessary influence to push Israel to complete its withdrawal, allowing the Lebanese state to extend its full sovereignty over its territory.

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Shift in the Lebanese landscape

Joseph Aoun was elected president of Lebanon after years in which he led the Lebanese army during the severe economic crisis, and also oversaw military operations against ISIS on the eastern borders.

His election came in the wake of a decline in Hezbollah's influence as a result of the war with Israel in 2024, and the fall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime, which redrew the balance of power within Lebanon.

Since assuming the presidency, Aoun has made the confinement of weapons to the state one of the most prominent hallmarks of his tenure, as the Lebanese army deployed in several southern areas to confiscate weapons caches belonging to Hezbollah, as part of implementing the ceasefire agreement, and without direct objection from the party.

Criticism and political confrontation

But Aoun's efforts faced major challenges after a new round of confrontation broke out between Hezbollah and Israel, following the party's launch of rockets towards Israel in support of Iran, which was followed by a wide military escalation.

Aoun's move towards conducting direct talks with Israel sparked sharp criticism from Hezbollah and its allies, but he continued to defend his position, considering that Lebanon cannot continue to pay the price of regional conflicts, and stressing that restoring state sovereignty requires confining the security and military decision to its official institutions.

Aoun's visit to Washington is considered a pivotal moment in Lebanese-American relations, as Beirut seeks US support to implement security arrangements in the south, end the Israeli military presence, and advance the country's stability path.