Aoun vows army will deploy to south in talks with CENTCOM chief

Aoun vows army will deploy to south in talks with CENTCOM chief Aoun stressed “the Lebanese state’s determination to extend its authority, through its armed forces, to the southern international border.” Tuesday 30/06/2026 Lebanese President Joseph Aoun received US Central Command Commander Brad Cooper at the Baabda Palace, in the presence of US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Keith Hanigan and the head of the ceasefire mechanism team, General Joseph Clearfield, June 29, 2026. BEIRUT Lebanese President Joseph Aoun reaffirmed on Monday his determination to extend state authority through the Lebanese Armed Forces to the country’s southern border with Israel, as he met the commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), Admiral Brad Cooper, during the first high-level US military visit since Lebanon and Israel signed a US-brokered framework agreement aimed at ending months of conflict. Cooper’s visit comes days after Washington hosted Lebanese and Israeli officials for the signing of the framework agreement, under which the Lebanese army is expected to play the central role in implementing the accord through a gradual deployment across southern Lebanon after the verified disarmament of Hezbollah and other non-state armed groups. According to the Lebanese presidency, Aoun and Cooper discussed preparations for launching implementation of the agreement reached during Lebanese-US-Israeli negotiations in Washington on Friday. Aoun stressed “the Lebanese state’s determination to extend its authority, through its armed forces, to the southern international border,” and thanked US President Donald Trump for his support for Lebanon’s security and stability. US Central Command confirmed the meetings in a post on X, saying Cooper held talks with both Aoun and Lebanese Armed Forces commander General Rodolphe Haykal on “the path forward in implementing a historic framework agreement” signed in Washington. CENTCOM said Cooper also visited Israel, where he met US troops deployed there. The framework agreement, published by the US State Department, commits Lebanon to restoring “effective sovereign authority throughout Lebanese territory” through the verified disarmament of non-state armed groups and dismantling their military infrastructure, paving the way for a phased Israeli military withdrawal from Lebanese territory. The agreement states that the practical steps will be outlined in a separate security annex prepared with full US support, although that annex has not yet been released publicly. Cooper later met Haykal, with the Lebanese army saying the two discussed “the importance of successfully implementing the security annex mechanism” of the framework agreement, as well as future military cooperation. The United States has long been the Lebanese army’s principal international backer. During Friday’s signing ceremony, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio pledged an additional $30 million to strengthen the army’s capabilities so it can more effectively enforce state sovereignty across Lebanese territory. The agreement was immediately rejected by Hezbollah, whose leadership has refused to recognise its legitimacy. Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said on Saturday the movement would treat the accord as “null and void” and described it as a surrender of Lebanese sovereignty, while Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a key Hezbollah ally and head of the Amal Movement, said the agreement “will not be implemented”. The agreement followed a US-Iran ceasefire arrangement that took effect on June 21 and largely halted fighting between Hezbollah and Israel in southern Lebanon, although sporadic exchanges have continued. Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said late on Sunday that Israeli forces had destroyed a 200-metre Hezbollah tunnel in southern Lebanon after carrying out a series of air strikes. Hezbollah said on Sunday it retained the right to defend Lebanon and its people against what it described as Israel’s “blatant violation” of the ceasefire. Lebanon entered the conflict on March 2 after Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel, saying the attack was in response to the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei during the first wave of US and Israeli strikes on Iran in February. Israel responded with an extensive air campaign and ground offensive that Lebanese authorities say has killed more than 4,200 people.
2026-06-30 09:01:19