US forces strike Iranian military targets as tensions soar in Strait of Hormuz

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun will meet with President Donald Trump on Tuesday at the White House as the U.S. has been mediating talks between Israel and Lebanon.

Talks in June led to a signed trilateral framework agreement between the United States, Israel and Lebanon. It set a plan for Israeli forces to withdraw from southern Lebanon as well as the disarmament of Hezbollah, the Iran-backed terrorist group based in Lebanon.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Aoun on Sunday, where according to the State Department, he “commended the courage of the Government of Lebanon, under President Aoun’s leadership, for their determined effort to reclaim Lebanon’s sovereignty, disarm Hezbollah and dismantle its terrorist infrastructure, and move towards peace.”

“The Secretary reaffirmed the commitment of the United States 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,” State Department Spokesperson Tommy Pigott added.

The State Department announced Monday that operations in three villages deemed part of a “pilot zone” had begun, without giving details on what that entailed. Two of the three villages, Froun and Srifa, are not under Israeli military control and the Lebanese army is present there, while Israeli forces are in part of Zawtar al-Gharbieh, according to The Associated Press.

The Lebanese army in a statement said it was preparing for Israel to withdraw from Zawtar al-Gharbieh and that it had begun deploying troops to the area Tuesday. The Israeli military said it “will adjust its force posture in one of the pilot areas in order to enable the Lebanese Armed Forces to carry out their mission,” without specifying the location.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.