Joseph Aoun
President of the Republic of Lebanon since 2025
Photo: Stavros Ioannides, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons, cropped)
- Jul 22
US strikes Iran for 11th night, Trump threatens nuclear site near Natanz
The US launched its 11th consecutive night of strikes on Iran, targeting military infrastructure to degrade Tehran's ability to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump warned that an underground nuclear facility near Natanz could be hit next.
- Jul 22
Trump threatens to bomb Iran's Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site as war costs mount and strikes continue
The US president said strikes on the underground complex near Natanz would come 'pretty soon, and very heavily,' as the Pentagon revealed the war has cost $37.5bn and killed 18 American troops.
- Jul 22
Hegseth tells Congress Iran war has cost $37.5 billion, Trump threatens to strike underground nuclear site
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth disclosed a $37.5 billion price tag for the Iran war and requested $67 billion in emergency funds, while President Trump threatened to strike an underground nuclear site.
- Jul 22
Trump authorizes direct US-Lebanon flights, ending 40-year suspension
President Donald Trump ordered the resumption of direct flights between the United States and Lebanon on July 21, 2026, after a White House meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. The route had been suspended since 1985 following the hijacking of two TWA planes at Beirut airport by Hezbollah.
- Jul 21
Trump lifts 41-year ban on direct US flights to Lebanon after meeting with President Aoun
President Trump announced Tuesday that US carriers may resume direct flights to Lebanon, reversing a ban imposed by Ronald Reagan in 1985 after the TWA Flight 847 hijacking. The move followed a White House meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who sought US support for lasting calm after months of Israel-Hezbollah war.
- Jul 21
Mediators push for 10-day Iran war ceasefire as US strikes hit tenth night and Trump hosts Lebanon's Aoun
Qatar, Egypt, Pakistan and other regional mediators have proposed a ten-day truce between the US and Iran as American airstrikes entered their tenth consecutive night, while President Trump prepared to host Lebanon's president to shore up a separate ceasefire with Hezbollah.
- Jun 26
Israel, Lebanon and US sign framework deal in Washington, Israeli troops to pull back from pilot zones in south
A US-mediated agreement signed on June 26 maps out a small-scale Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, with American officers monitoring for Hezbollah fighters.
- Jun 20
Israeli airstrikes kill at least five in Lebanon hours after ceasefire with Hezbollah takes effect
Israeli warplanes and drones struck southern Lebanon on Friday evening, killing at least five people, within minutes of a US-brokered truce between Israel and Hezbollah coming into force.
- Jun 14
Israel strikes southern Lebanon after issuing evacuation warnings for Nabatieh as US-Iran deal looms
Following Israeli army warnings to evacuate 24 locations south of the Zahrani River, airstrikes hit Nabatieh and surrounding villages, killing a local official and wounding a Lebanese soldier, while Hezbollah fought Israeli forces on the ground.
- Jun 2
Trump announces Israel-Hezbollah de-escalation as Iran threatens to halt talks and block Strait of Hormuz
US President Donald Trump announced a halt to attacks between Israel and Hezbollah after direct talks with the militant group, while Iran threatened to suspend nuclear negotiations and block the Strait of Hormuz over Israeli actions in Lebanon.
- Jun 1
Israel's Lebanon Offensive Widens Despite Ceasefire, Iran Halts Talks with US
Israeli forces seized a symbolic castle and ordered evacuations in Beirut's suburbs on Monday, triggering Iran to suspend indirect nuclear talks with Washington.
- May 31
Lebanon PM accuses Israel of 'scorched-earth policy' as truce collapses and strikes intensify in the south
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam warned of a 'dangerous and unprecedented' Israeli escalation, accusing Israel of destroying towns and forcing mass displacement, even as US-brokered talks continue.