US President Donald Trump held a phone conversation with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Saturday evening to discuss the American-mediated framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon, CNN reported.
While the White House has not officially confirmed the diplomatic call or issued a summary of the discussion, the Lebanese presidency published an Arabic-language readout of the exchange on social media, indicating that the American leader conveyed strong support for the nation's stabilizing efforts.
According to the post, Trump “emphasized his country’s support for Lebanon and the Lebanese people, indicating he is working to provide everything necessary to implement the agreement’s provisions of restoring security and stability to Lebanon."
In response, the Lebanese head of state underscored the need for strict international oversight to ensure the multi-phased security accord remains intact.
The presidential statement noted that Aoun “expressed hope that the United States would also contribute to preventing any breaches of this agreement and ensuring compliance with all the commitments agreed upon, especially through pressuring Israel to withdraw from the lands it occupies in Southern Lebanon in order to facilitate the army’s deployment to the international borders."
The diplomatic breakthrough has yielded a mixed reception within Lebanon's highly fragmented political and sectarian landscapes. While government officials have expressed public optimism regarding a long-term path to regional stability, internal critics contend that the guidelines do not sufficiently constrain ongoing Israeli military actions.
One of those critics is the Hezbollah terrorist organization, which has continuously stated that it would refuse to disarm.
Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah on Friday stated in an interview with Al-Mayadeen TV, which is affiliated with the organization, that the Lebanese government will be unable to enforce the agreement signed in Washington unless it is actively seeking a US-backed civil war.
Fadlallah charged that the negotiations in Washington were an attempt to sabotage the Pakistani-sponsored negotiation track, declaring, "Without Hezbollah, nothing will pass."
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem also strongly condemned the framework agreement signed in Washington between Israel and Lebanon, describing it as a "humiliating and disgraceful" deal that, he claimed, amounts to a surrender of Lebanon's sovereignty.
"Where is the government's responsibility for Lebanese sovereignty and its commitment to the ceasefire?" Qassem demanded, adding that the agreement "has no right to exist."