Sources close to the Lebanese presidency told The National on Thursday that Lebanon has accepted an American invitation for direct talks with Israel, to be held in Rome next week.
One of the sources told The National that Lebanese President Joseph Aoun initially rejected the invitation because he wanted the talks to be held in Washington, where Israel and Lebanon held historic meetings last month.
“It seems an understanding between the U.S. and the Lebanese delegation was reached, and it worked out,” the source said.
In this photo released by the Lebanese Presidency press office, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during a ceremony marking Army Day at the Lebanese Defense Ministry in Yarzeh, near Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (Lebanese Presidency press office via AP)
Aoun was apparently also unhappy that Israel was told the talks would be held in Rome at least a full day before Lebanon was notified. Aoun’s office was not informed of the schedule until Wednesday, but Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter mentioned the location and timing of the talks during a meeting with the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in Washington on Tuesday.
As for why the venue was changed, another source speculated that the “time zone and logistical considerations” made Italy a more convenient location. Another possibility is that President Donald Trump wants to arrange a trilateral meeting between himself, Aoun, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but Aoun has resisted such a meeting until Israel forces withdraw from Lebanon. Holding next week’s talks in Rome gives Trump a more graceful reason for not being involved just yet.
President Donald Trump participates in a bilateral press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Monday, December 29, 2025, at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)
Aoun is scheduled to be in Washington on July 21 for his first in-person meeting with President Trump. The Rome meetings will reportedly be held on July 15 and 16.
Aoun is eager to get Israeli forces out of southern Lebanon, while Israel is reluctant to withdraw until the Iran-backed terrorists of Hezbollah have been neutralized. A compromise proposal devised last month is for Israel to withdraw from two “pilot zones” and hand them over to the Lebanese Army – which will then be expected to prove it has the will and ability to disarm Hezbollah, after decades of repeated promises to do so.
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The Times of Israel (TOI) reported on Wednesday that Israeli officials want more time to prepare the pilot zones and also seek more assurances that the Lebanese Army units will be carefully vetted to weed out Hezbollah supporters – possibly with the U.S. doing the vetting, because Beirut would not accept Israel in that role. Moving the venue to Rome was a way of reducing the pressure from Washington for Israel to withdraw more quickly.
Aoun said on Monday that he remains determined to get Israeli forces out of the country.
“The Lebanese army and security forces are the cornerstone of stability and security in the south and of enabling residents to return to their homes. There is no place for civil war in Lebanon, and its return is not on the table, despite attempts by some to stir up sectarian strife,” he said.
Aoun also expressed gratitude for the “unprecedented American interest in Lebanon and the United States’ support for finding a lasting solution to the series of Israeli attacks on our country.” He said he hoped his July 21 meeting with Trump would “bring positive outcomes for Lebanon.
A U.S. official told reporters on Thursday that U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) is coordinating with both Israel and Lebanon to set up the pilot zones for Lebanese Army control, and the first zone will “launch in a matter of days.”
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