Lebanon’s Aoun calls on US to keep ‘always standing beside’ his country

In a congratulatory message on US Independence Day, Aoun says he hopes Lebanon can ‘open a new page of hope, peace and stability’.Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has called on the United States to stand by Beirut following a landmark agreement between Lebanon and Israel, mediated by Washington.In a congratulatory message to President Donald Trump marking the US 250th Independence Day, Aoun urged Washington to “keep always standing beside Lebanon’s right and just causes, its institutions, army and people”.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Israeli opposition signal foreign policy change in style, but not substancelist 2 of 3US-Iran talks in Doha: What were the outcomes and what’s next?list 3 of 3Psychological toll mounts as Lebanese villages erased by Israel’s warend of listHe added that he hopes that Lebanon could “turn the page on wars … and open a new page of hope, peace and stability”.The Lebanon" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="158860" data-entity-type="organization">US Embassy in Lebanon also said in a post on X that it is “with great pride that we stand with the people of Lebanon as they forge a brighter future – one of peace, prosperity and promise long overdue”.Last week, Israel and Lebanon signed a US-backed framework deal intended to permanently end the conflict with the Hezbollah armed group that is continuing in southern Lebanon.The agreement includes calls for the Hezbollah" class="entity-link entity-topic" data-entity-id="158861" data-entity-type="topic">disarmament of Hezbollah, a gradual Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and the deployment of the Lebanese army to the area, beginning with two pilot areas.But Hezbollah has rejected the deal, which does not set out a timetable for an Israeli withdrawal.Hezbollah joined the Israel-war" class="entity-link entity-event" data-entity-id="46335" data-entity-type="event">United States-Israel war with Iran on March 2 with rocket fire at Israel to avenge the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.In response to the attack, Israel launched an intense campaign of air strikes and a ground invasion in southern Lebanon, occupying swaths of territory.According to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health on Saturday, the death toll since March 2 has reached 4,303 killed and 12,202 others wounded.