Summary: Former Lebanese Ambassador to Washington Antoine Chidi said in an audio interview with Independent Arabia that this visit is very important in this troubled and explosive regional situation, amid the ongoing tension between the United States and Iran.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun will be a guest at the White House today, Tuesday, July 21, where he will meet with US President Donald Trump, in a visit that is the first of its kind since 2009. Its importance lies in the circumstances that Lebanon and the region are experiencing, with the continued Israeli occupation of a large part of southern Lebanon and its condition of fully withdrawing Hezbollah's weapons before implementing any withdrawal.

In contrast, America seeks a diplomatic or military 'victory' in the region as the war on Iran continues, and it has renewed after the failure of the ceasefire, while any fruitful and practical agreement between Beirut and Tel Aviv is considered a victory on a front that has been inflamed for a long time.

Former Lebanese Ambassador to Washington Antoine Chidi said in an audio interview with Independent Arabia that this visit is very important in this troubled and explosive regional situation, amid the ongoing tension between the United States and Iran, and it comes with the start of the implementation of the first phase of the framework agreement, which stipulates the withdrawal of Israel from an experimental area in southern Lebanon, and the deployment of the Lebanese army there, provided that this is preceded by verifying that these areas are free of Hezbollah weapons.

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In response to a question 'What does Donald Trump want from President Aoun?', Chidi said that the US president wants to implement the framework agreement, meaning the monopolization of weapons in the hands of the Lebanese state, and the monopolization of the decision of war and peace, and the extension of its control over all Lebanese territory, and this also means clearly removing the Lebanese card from Iran's hands, so that it does not use it as a bargaining chip in its talks with Washington, considering that this goal is one of Trump's priorities, which explains the insistence of the US administration and its pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cooperate and withdraw from Lebanon, after Trump publicly announced his support for Israel's withdrawal from Lebanese territory.

In contrast, Chidi considers that what Aoun wants from Trump is to continue pressuring Netanyahu, in order to push Israel to withdraw from the areas it still occupies in Lebanon, which facilitates the Lebanese state and the Lebanese army to proceed with the implementation of the process of monopolizing weapons in the hands of the state. He says, 'Amid the explosive conditions between the United States and Iran, Aoun also seeks to obtain continued American support for the Lebanese army, whether by providing it with weapons and equipment or through training. And the most important thing that President Aoun will request is the continuation of American support for Lebanon, and that the US Central Command continue to play the primary role in the verification process of the areas from which Israel withdraws, preventing Israel from undertaking this task itself, which may hinder the implementation of the framework agreement.'

He adds that in addition to the above, Aoun will request economic and financial support for Lebanon, based on the country's need for American support at this critical stage.

He concludes, 'In short, President Aoun is betting on continued American pressure on Israel to complete its withdrawal from Lebanon, which facilitates the Lebanese state, and specifically the Lebanese army, in implementing the framework agreement and monopolizing weapons in the hands of the state.'