Lebanese President Joseph Aoun (C) and Admiral Brad Cooper, Commander (2-L) of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) are pictured during a meeting at the presidential palace in Baabda on June 29, 2026. Photo courtesy Lebanese Presidency/UPI | License Photo
BEIRUT, Lebanon, June 30 (UPI) -- The United States, which brokered Lebanon and Israel's first direct negotiations and framework agreement, is Lebanon's only guarantor for securing a full Israeli withdrawal from its territory and bringing an end to the decades-long conflict between the two countries, official and diplomatic sources said.
The preliminary agreement, signed last Friday in Washington, marked the beginning of a long and difficult process whose outcome would depend on U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration's sustained and unwavering commitment to advancing the talks.
Lebanon took the daring and risky decision to pursue its own negotiating track, distancing itself from Iran's influence and Hezbollah's dominance in the hope of regaining control of the war-ravaged country and restoring its long-lost sovereignty.
Such a move was driven by the devastating war Israel has been waging against Hezbollah since the Iran-backed group opened a front in support of Gaza on Oct. 8, 2023 and resumed fighting -- after 15 months of inactivity to reorganize its ranks -- in solidarity with Iran on March 2.
