US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in Washington on Sunday, commending the country's 'move toward peace' after the most recent round of Lebanon-Israel talks.

The high-level meeting underscores renewed U.S. diplomatic engagement aimed at resolving the long-standing tensions between Israel and Lebanon.

It was the first trip to the US capital by a Lebanese head of state since Michel Sleiman was received by Barack Obama in 2009.

Aoun and Rubio held talks at the State Department, and Lebanese officials said Aoun is due to meet with President Donald Trump on Tuesday.

Following the talks, the State Department said Rubio praised the Lebanese government for its 'determined effort to reclaim Lebanon's sovereignty, disarm Hezbollah and dismantle its terrorist infrastructure, and move toward peace.'

Israel and Lebanon — which do not have formal diplomatic relations — began US-sponsored negotiations in April aimed at reaching a peace deal and permanently ending the Israel-Hezbollah war.

On June 26, they reached a framework agreement in Washington under which the Israeli military is to withdraw from southern Lebanon and the Lebanese army is to deploy, starting with two “pilot zones.”

However, the framework is conditional on the disarmament of Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, which has categorically rejected both the deal and the negotiations underpinning it.

Following the latest round of talks last week in Rome, Israel and Lebanon agreed on the structure and guidelines for implementing the pilot zones, according to the United States.

Rubio said Washington was committed “to supporting the successful implementation of the Trilateral Framework and to backing the Government of Lebanon’s efforts to deliver peace, economic recovery, and a better future for the Lebanese people.”

Hezbollah pulled Lebanon into the Middle East war on March 2, when it began striking Israel in support of its backer Iran.

Israel responded with airstrikes and a ground invasion, and despite a ceasefire it continues sporadic attacks and holds territory in the south in what it describes as a “security zone.”

While in Washington, Aoun planned talks “on the situation in Lebanon and ways to strengthen the ceasefire” as well as on “the withdrawal of Israel from the Lebanese regions it occupies,” his office said earlier.

The United States carried out airstrikes on Sunday to “punish” Iran after the first US military deaths since open hostilities rekindled the Middle East war.

Hezbollah's refusal to disarm remains a critical hurdle, as the group has already rejected the framework. With President Aoun expected to meet President Trump on Tuesday, the coming days will test whether diplomatic momentum can overcome internal and external resistance. The outcome could shape the region's security landscape for years to come.